Next Article in Journal
Contraceptive Method Information and Method Switching in India
Next Article in Special Issue
Accessible Tourism in Protected Natural Areas: An Empirical Study in the Lazio Region
Previous Article in Journal
Primary School Physical Education at the Time of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Could Online Teaching Undermine Teachers’ Self-Efficacy and Work Engagement?
Previous Article in Special Issue
Public—Private Partnership Governance for Accessible Tourism in Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)
 
 
Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
Journals
Sustainability
Volume 13
Issue 17
10.3390/su13179818
sustainability-logo
Submit to this Journal Review for this Journal Propose a Special Issue
► Article Menu

Article Menu

share Share announcement Help format_quote Cite question_answer Discuss in SciProfiles
first_page
settings
Order Article Reprints
Font Type:
Arial Georgia Verdana
Font Size:
Aa Aa Aa
Line Spacing:
Column Width:
Background:
Article

The Role of Motivations in the Segmentation of Ecotourism Destinations: A Study from Costa Rica

by
Mauricio Carvache-Franco
1,
Wilmer Carvache-Franco
2,*,
Ana Gabriela Víquez-Paniagua
3,
Orly Carvache-Franco
4 and
Allan Pérez-Orozco
3
1
Facultad de Turismo y Hotelería, Universidad Espíritu Santo, Samborondón 092301, Ecuador
2
Facultad de Ciencias Sociales y Humanísticas, Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral, ESPOL, Guayaquil 09015863, Ecuador
3
Escuela de Administración de Empresas, Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica, Cartago 1597050, Costa Rica
4
Facultad de Especialidades Empresariales, Universidad Católica de Santiago de Guayaquil, Guayaquil 090615, Ecuador
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Sustainability 2021, 13(17), 9818; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13179818
Submission received: 29 July 2021 / Revised: 16 August 2021 / Accepted: 25 August 2021 / Published: 1 September 2021
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Accessible Tourism in Protected Natural Areas (PNAs))
Browse Figures
Versions Notes

Abstract

In recent years, the interests and motivations of tourists for nature and leisure have increased. The objectives of this study include following: (i) identifying the underlying variables or motivational dimensions in ecotourism; and (ii) analyzing the demand segmentation in ecotourism. This empirical study was conducted in The Arenal National Park and The Caño Negro National Wildlife Refuge in Costa Rica, a country with ecological importance for ecotourism. The sample consisted of 310 surveys obtained in situ. For data analysis, factor analysis and a non-hierarchical K-means segmentation were performed. In the study, seven motivational dimensions in ecotourism were obtained, such as “Self-development”, “Interpersonal relationships and ego-defensive function”, “Nature”, “Building personal relationships”, “Rewards” and “Escape”. Moreover, the characteristics of the different segments are established according to their motivations; thus, there are three segments of ecotourists: “Reward and escape”, “Multiple motives” and “Nature”. The findings of this research provide management guides to public institutions and information for companies for developing products according to demand.
Keywords: ecotourism; motivation; segmentation; satisfaction; return ecotourism; motivation; segmentation; satisfaction; return

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Carvache-Franco, M.; Carvache-Franco, W.; Víquez-Paniagua, A.G.; Carvache-Franco, O.; Pérez-Orozco, A. The Role of Motivations in the Segmentation of Ecotourism Destinations: A Study from Costa Rica. Sustainability 2021, 13, 9818. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13179818

AMA Style

Carvache-Franco M, Carvache-Franco W, Víquez-Paniagua AG, Carvache-Franco O, Pérez-Orozco A. The Role of Motivations in the Segmentation of Ecotourism Destinations: A Study from Costa Rica. Sustainability. 2021; 13(17):9818. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13179818

Chicago/Turabian Style

Carvache-Franco, Mauricio, Wilmer Carvache-Franco, Ana Gabriela Víquez-Paniagua, Orly Carvache-Franco, and Allan Pérez-Orozco. 2021. "The Role of Motivations in the Segmentation of Ecotourism Destinations: A Study from Costa Rica" Sustainability 13, no. 17: 9818. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13179818

APA Style

Carvache-Franco, M., Carvache-Franco, W., Víquez-Paniagua, A. G., Carvache-Franco, O., & Pérez-Orozco, A. (2021). The Role of Motivations in the Segmentation of Ecotourism Destinations: A Study from Costa Rica. Sustainability, 13(17), 9818. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13179818

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

Article Metrics

Back to TopTop