SEASONAL TOURISM DEMAND IN LEBANESE SKI RESORTS

Abstract

Purpose of the study: The main objective of this study is to analyze the profile of Lebanese ski resorts’ visitors, their motivations, preferences, and perceptions. Thus, authors seek to analyze the characteristics of seasonal tourism demand in Lebanese ski resorts for the sake of reducing seasonality.
 Methodology: Quantitative methods were used and four out of the five ski resorts in Lebanon were analyzed. An online questionnaire was distributed to visitors, using a mix of self-selection and snowball sampling techniques. The questionnaire resulted in 206 respondents. Responses showed high internal validity with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.83.
 Main Findings: The relationship between place attachment and annual visitations was validated and authors were able to point the deteriorated value for money among resorts. Furthermore, the K-mean clustering resulted in segmenting visitors into three groups of interest to be targeted in order to reduce seasonality.
 Implications: This study helps the winter and snow tourism stakeholders in Lebanon to reduce tourism seasonality and consequently develop sustainable tourism products. It also enhances previous studies conducted on seasonal tourism demand.
 Limitations: The main limitation is that not all stakeholders were examined. Further research is needed to be conducted on visitors’ decision-making processes and their actual behavior. The proposed segments in this study are subject to future tests and investigations.
 The novelty of the study: With no previous research attempting to analyze seasonal demand in Lebanese ski resorts; this study has a vital role to play in developing sustainable tourism products and helping winter and snow tourism stakeholders to reduce tourism seasonality. The clusters presented at the end of this paper are considered as a new proposition for ski resorts’ managers who are shifting toward all-season operations.