Tourists’ attitude affecting consumption behavior for sustainable Satoyama Tourism: A comparison between domestic and international tourists

Abstract

Over these decades, tourism industry has developed very rapidly. Tourism evidently improves sustainability especially in rural by prosperity enhancement. Japan is nominated as the decade’s fastest-growing major destination with a 334% rise of arrival from 2010-2017. Moreover, Japan pulls out a tourism goal, aiming 40 million arrivals with JPY 8 trillion receipts by the year 2020. Rural areas are promoted to be tourist destination as an effort for sustaining rural landscape. But, it is not the case for Kita Village. Kita Village is one of famous rural heritage destinations located in Kyoto Prefecture with excellent Satoyama landscape. Residents of Kita Village agreed to preserve the Satoyama landscape through tourism. Maintaining a heritage site is not easy nor cheap. Economic needs couldn’t be denied to sustain the area. Tourists’ visitation is increasing each year, yet the tourism income is low. Therefore, increasing tourism income became an important issue in Miyama to sustain the Satoyama landscape. Literature have shown domestic and international tourists are different. With the increasing international tourists in Kita Village, this study aimed to explore each group and compare their consumption behavior. Tourists’ consumption behavior is studied to understand the tourism demands to increase tourism income in Kita Village, aiming for local revitalization and Satoyama landscape preservation. Data collected through a questionnaire survey in Spring. Results showed that expenditure between domestic and international tourists in Kita Village is not significantly different, JPY1954 for domestic tourists and JPY1994 for international tourists, yet the tourism attitudes between the two groups were different. Domestic and international tourists are significantly different in age, companion, transportation, times visited Miyama, duration, motivation, activity preference, and price preference. Expenditure is affected by marital status, age, duration, satisfaction, motivation, product preference, and price preference. This study managed to discover that the low tourism receipt from international tourists is mainly due to the incompatibility of the type of program. While for domestic tourists, the low tourism receipt is mainly due to the high price offered. It is suggested to make tourism program development as priority for tourism development.