The Relationship Between Recreation Experience Preferences and Revealed Activity Choice in the North Shore Lake Superior Region

Abstract

Planning for tourism in rural regions necessitates much information about the visitor. The goal of most planning efforts is to understand visitor expectations and predict participation patterns. When demand is understood, the provision of appropriate supply can be more effective and efficient. This study examined the degree to which the experience preference–activity relationship holds for the three primary target market groups (Northwest Ontario, rest of Canada, US) to the Ontario North Shore Lake Superior region. For this study, 464 visitors who engaged in activities along Lake Superior or related activities in the communities and land adjacent to the water were used in the analysis. The results suggest that there is a weak relationship between experience preference and activity choice, but when results are examined by more defined market segments, some moderate relationships appear. This suggests that associated promotion and advertising in the region should focus its message and images based on these significant relationships.