Visitors to the West Coast: Characteristics, attractions and decision-making.

K Moore , D G Simmons and J R Fairweather

Lincoln: Lincoln University.

roger.dawson@lincoln.ac.nz

This report presents results from a survey of visitors to the West Coast, New Zealand, which investigated visitors’ general characteristics, perceived attractions of the West Coast and their decision-making processes (purpose of visit, the timing of itinerary planning and destination decisions, perceived influences on those decisions). Literature on visitor decision-making is selectively reviewed with an emphasis on the different processes involved and the role of information in the formation of destination ‘images’ and in the overall decision-making process. The affective and family context components of decision-making are also considered as these are thought to be particularly relevant to leisure travel, which is often carried out in a social context. Among the findings was that the attractions of the West Coast were based predominantly on the natural environment. Scenic values (‘nature’, ‘scenery’, etc.) were most frequently mentioned in response to an open-ended question about attractions of the West Coast. A variety of natural features (‘bush’, ‘coast’, ‘mountains’ ‘beaches’, etc.), activities based upon the natural environment (e.g., kayaking, mountain climbing, blackwater canoeing, etc.), specific places in the natural environment (e.g., the Heaphy track, Jackson Bay, etc.) and iconic, natural features such as the glaciers and Punakaiki were mentioned by respondents.

Keywords:

environment, outdoors, recreation, tourism

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Literature review

Canterbury

Outdoor Recreation

1292

November 8, 2011

December 9, 2011