Heritage on the High Plains: Motive-Based Market Segmentation for a US National Historic Site

Abstract

Over the past several years, many iconic national parks in the US have experienced large increases in visitation. At the same time, lesser-known units have had declining numbers. Both issues challenge the sustainable management of parks. The purpose of this study is to use motivation theory to develop and test the differences between market segments at a western US national historic site. The ultimate goal is to contribute to sustainable visitation management by increasing visitation and enhancing the visitor experience. A market segmentation analysis can identify and describe promising target markets. The data were collected using an onsite exit survey, resulting in a sample of 570 visitors over the high season. Three clusters of visitors were identified: heritage immersers, history appreciators, and casual sightseers. The groups differed significantly with respect to visitation motives, travel, and visitation patterns. Segments are described and implications offered. The study confirms differences among cultural heritage visitors, with some being promising as target markets for the historic site. The study underscores the importance of tailoring site management and marketing strategies to meet the diverse needs of visitors and supports the use of motive-based segmentation as a means of better understanding and sustainably managing visitor experiences.

1. Introduction

Heritage tourism plays a significant role in sustainable destination development across the United States. Considerations of sustainability in this context are multifaceted, and include, but are not limited to, the following: conserving resources in both natural and built environments; economic development; preservation of culture; building education and awareness for domestic and international visitors; strengthening community identity and pride; serving as a platform or mechanism for cultural exchange; and having the ability to build support for Indigenous and minority cultures. Overall, heritage tourism is crucial in maintaining and celebrating the rich cultural and historical tapestry of the United States. Whether tangible or intangible, elements of culture and heritage provide significant economic, educational, and social benefits [1,2].

Within the United States, US National Park Service (NPS) sites are designated as natural and cultural heritage tourism resources [3]. Some national parks, monuments, and historic sites have experienced large increases in visitation, challenging the sustainable management of these places. The news is rife with stories describing the large numbers of visitors in many of the US’s national parks along with their impacts on resources and experiences [4,5]. While the NPS struggles with managing ever increasing volumes of visitors at iconic parks, other lesser-known units of the National Park System struggle with the opposite: too few, and often declining, numbers of visitors, creating different kinds of sustainability issues. To better understand patrons at a less visited national historic site in the western US and develop a marketing strategy to increase visitation numbers, a study was conducted to better understand current visitors and identify prospective target markets. This study was considered a pilot project for an initiative by the Intermountain Region of the NPS to improve tourism marketing efforts at sites with low visitation. The purpose of this study was to use motivation theory to develop and test the differences between market segments at a western US national historic site. The ultimate goal is to strengthen sustainable management via an increase in visitation and enhancement of the visitor experience. The study contributes to the sustainable tourism literature by supporting the use of motive-based segmentation as a means of better understanding visitor experiences. Focusing on a historic site with declining visitation offers perspective from a unique research setting. Moreover, as a pilot project, this study serves as a way of thinking about sustainable visitation management for comparable sites facing similar challenges.

1.1. Cultural Heritage Tourism

Cultural heritage is something that is significant to a place, representing a semblance of time and space that is either manifested in a landscape or experienced as an activity with historical significance [6,7,8,9]. Ramires et al. [10] (p. 50) explain that cultural tourism is “a key potential attractor to a territory, and as such, a factor for local development”. Heritage-based tourism markets with attractions reflecting past structures or events have experienced rapid growth in the past several decades. This is because such sites are widely promoted and now have mass appeal [11,12]. Both cultural and heritage elements of a place represent a special interest. Urry and Larsen [13] argue destination planners and managers are continually reproducing elements of history or culture to designate attractions as a way of extending interest in a place. Culture and heritage are also endowed resources, and once designated as a tourism product they attract visitors who seek to learn about and embrace these unique connections to a place [14]. Thus, destination managers create place product attractions using culture and heritage that leverages a place’s history. Destination planners also seek to connect both supply- and demand-side elements which in turn join the cultural significance of a site with its potential to attract visitors [15].

Once the product foundations are in place, visitors then engage by visiting historic buildings or structures (tangible heritage), or they might attend an event (intangible heritage). The purpose of heritage, culture, and tourism is multifaceted [16]. Cultural heritage is utilized as a sustainable tourism product in several ways by different stakeholders: destination planners use heritage to connect people across generations to different eras in history [17]; visitors often seek an educational experience [9]; and local residents can embrace their unique history and cultural connections [18]. From the consumption perspective, visitors seek an experience that transports them to another time and seek an integration of tangible products to see and activities to experience. Visitors with a special interest in a particular history also embrace the value of culture and heritage [19]. Some people argue that these experiences are short-lived [20], whilst others argue that heritage visitors often have a dedicated mindset to see and experience sites based on prior knowledge or have a special interest in the attraction they are visiting [21]. To Lee et al. [22], cultural heritage tourists have a particular intention to visit such sites because their worldview is shaped by a specific event in a particular region’s history. This is important to note for this study because many of the participants who completed the survey have a special interest in historic sites in the western United States. This is where visitor studies that seek to further understand visitors’ motives, intentions, and special interests in cultural heritage attractions are essential, see [23].

Considering the purpose of this study, data collected focused on visitor motives and how these visitors engaged with a re-constructed historic fort. Some would consider these sites’ new tourism experiences as something that is relived, and for many the educational value that one takes from visiting such attractions is positive [24]. The presence of a historical structure (e.g., a fort), even if re-constructed, is a snapshot of a time where different cultures overlapped. Original structures do not commonly stand the sands of time, and their re-creation then embeds a memory back into a landscape that changed or was erased. This new presence connects people with a place using culture or heritage as an experiential motive for visitation [18]. Critical discussions of authenticity can emerge when attractions are re-constructed, but destinations take this approach to distill a narrative and create a memorable experience with a new tangible product [25].

As the types of cultural heritage tourism have become more complex, see [16], researchers are dealt the challenge of understanding contemporary demands, engagement, satisfaction, motivation, and attitudes of visitors, e.g., [23,26,27]. Nyaupane and Andereck [28] highlight the importance of a segmentation approach when determining visitor intentions and behaviors. Concerning visitors to the site of this study, Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site, this paper segments visitors based on visitation motives to guide new insight for research on who these visitors are and how they experience re-constructed attractions as means to enhance the sustainable management of the site. It is also important to note that recent research on visitors and local residents who encounter historical points in the western United States are highly informed of the region’s cultural heritage and historical movement and settlement patterns across this tourist region, see [29].

1.2. Tourist Motivation

Many factors influence visitor behavior, but one of the most important is their motives for a visit. It is critical for tourism managers to understand visitor motives. Awareness of visitor motivation provides managers with important information for marketing, product development, and sustainable visitor management [30]. As a result, measuring motives for tourism and recreation activities has been common as managers attempt to explain visitor choices. Motivation refers to an individual’s personal wants and needs that they attempt to fulfill [31]. Motivation is only one variable that characterizes visitors but is critical and usually considered a more effective predictor of visitor behavior, preferences, and satisfaction than other visitor characteristics, such as demographics [32,33]. Many motives for travel have been identified in the literature with culture, heritage, and history emerging as a primary reason people travel [21,34,35,36].

Cultural heritage tourist behavior has been investigated using a variety of motivation frameworks and theories. McGrath et al. [37], for example, conducted a study of several heritage attractions using motivation items based on Maslow’s hierarchy [38] and Pearce’s travel career ladder [39], finding that ‘seeing heritage attractions’ was the primary motive to visit the region. Heritage visitors reported the highest satisfaction levels among the broader visitor population. The Recreation Experience Preference (REP) scales have also been used to study heritage tourist motivation [35].

One of most prevalent motivation frameworks is the push–pull typology [40,41]. Push motives are the intrinsic psychological factors motivating a visit. They emerge from a visitor’s needs, wants, and desires, and tend to be emotional. Common push motives include relaxation, adventure, social interaction, and learning. Pull motives are the extrinsic factors that are destination attributes. They are related to situational or cognitive aspects of the destination inspired by its attractiveness to a visitor. Common pull motives include scenery, nature, entertainment, and culture [21,36]. Push and pull motives are often related to other variables, including satisfaction, destination loyalty, and revisit intention [36,42]. Specific to cultural heritage tourism, Tu [43] investigated common push and pull factors of heritage tourists, finding five pull dimensions (wide nature, regional attraction, art activity, heritage architecture) and two push dimensions (recreational benefits, long-term values), while Su et al. [21] found three dimensions of push (socialization, cultural experience, taste of food) and three dimensions of pull motives (local destination appeals, core food tourism appeals, traditional food appeals) among food travelers. Recently, Douglas et al. [44] discovered five push (learning about the local culture, relaxation and entertainment, status and social recognition, escape and curiosity, experience) and three pull dimensions (intangible cultural tourism activities, indigenous cultural tourism activities, tangible cultural activities) of motives among cultural tourists, with ‘learning about the local culture’ the strongest predictor of engaging in cultural tourism activities.

1.3. Tourist Market Segmentation

One way to better distinguish cultural heritage visitors is through market segmentation. Market segmentation is a method used to divide visitors into groups with similar characteristics that can describe them precisely [45,46]. Segmentation of markets is a long-standing method providing several benefits for sustainable tourism management and marketing: recognizing group differences; more precise understanding of visitors’ characteristics and needs; better ability to develop products and programs that will satisfy visitors; better use of resources by directing them to segments with the most potential; and identifying future markets. Segmentation recognizes that visitors differ, and any one organization cannot meet the needs of all. By segmenting markets, an organization can focus its efforts on the types of visitors most likely to visit [47]. Segments often differ with respect to travel motivation, behavior, and patterns; activities pursued; and socio-economic characteristics [46]. Segmentation follows the following steps: selection of the segmentation base, grouping respondents, profiling segments, assessing usefulness of the segments, and determining target markets [48].

Segmentation provides insights to determine target markets. Segments are described, and those that seem to be the most promising for a site are selected as target markets [46] based on stronger motives or those that best align with the destination [32,49]. Segmentation studies have been based on numerous consumer characteristics. McKercher et al. [50] provide a comprehensive summary of overarching types of segmentation: geographic, demographic, behavioral, psychographic, or a hybrid of these.

Dolnicar [46] and McKercher et al. [50] describe two basic forms of segmentation. Commonsense segmentation is an a priori method using known defined characteristics of visitors that are the most relevant, such as their place of residence, age, or activities. Data-driven segmentation is an a posteriori approach, whereby segments are derived from data via statistical analysis based on variables such as motivation or activities to segment visitors, often using cluster analysis. Motive-based segmentation has frequently been used by tourism researchers, e.g., [45,51,52]. Using visitation motivation to segment markets is often considered more effective than other methods allowing a better understanding of visitors’ experiences, preferences, and travel behavior [32,33,45]. Motive-based segmentation can help determine why visitors are choosing to visit a site and how to meet their needs. Segments can differ not only according to motives but also along other characteristics such as demographics, travel behavior and patterns, and activities [45].

Often, motives are assessed by general measures resulting in typologies of broad groups of vacationers [53]. They are also often based on ‘push’ motives, or intrinsic visitor psychological characteristics such as the need for relaxation or adventure. Fewer are more focused on ‘pull’ motives, or destination attributes desired by a visitor. Several studies have reported on the motive-based segmentation of the cultural heritage market. Some consider cultural tourists more generally, developing a typology of cultural or heritage tourists [26,32,35,54,55]. However, segmentation based on motives for a specific product or experience can be more useful than broader studies. Research has demonstrated that motives are related to the destination and vary from place to place [33,45] suggesting the need to develop unique market segments for individual destinations.

Specific kinds of visitors or destinations have been investigated in recent studies using items tailored to the site or activity, or pull motives, sometimes combined with more general push motives. Hassan et al. [56] investigated religious tourism, finding three distinct clusters, religious, passive tourists, and multiple motives, which differed along demographic, travel, satisfaction, and loyalty variables. The multiple motives segment had the highest level, and the passive tourists the lowest level of satisfaction and likelihood to revisit and recommend a visit to others. Murdy et al. [57] found four motive-based clusters of ancestral tourists, including full heritage immersion, ancestral enthusiasts, general interest, and heritage-focused, though they demonstrated few differences. Investigating an emerging market, Coelho et al. [58] segmented tequila visitors in Mexico by involvement, which is related to motivation, finding three clusters.

There is limited motive-based segmentation research that considers visitors to cultural heritage sites that focus on history. Cameron and Gatewood [59] point out that, while history and heritage are of interest to many travelers, little is known about their motives to visit historic sites. While several large sites collect some information, it is typically demographic data, rather than data about motives or interests. In an effort to fill this research gap, they conducted a study in the historic downtown of an eastern US community and found a segment that had a high level of interest in historic sites (62%), especially in colonial history. While providing insight into interest in historic sites, the study was conducted in 1995 with a small sample of 255 and is now out of date.

Other studies that have centered on historic attractions include Menor-Campos et al. [53] who studied visitors to the historic center of Córdoba Spain using push and pull motive items specific to the destination. They found four segments, including a heritage segment with high motivation, which differed in visit satisfaction. Similarly, Ramires et al. [10], surveyed visitors to Porto Portugal, a World Heritage City, who were segmented using pull factors, resulting in three segments that differed with respect to several demographic, travel patterns, and satisfaction variables. The ‘absorptive cultural tourists’ were more likely to be repeat visitors and have the highest satisfaction. The ‘spontaneous cultural tourists’ were less concerned with cultural destination attributes but still had high satisfaction levels. The ‘conventional cultural tourists’ were often first-time visitors with high cultural motivation, and often in tour groups. Su et al. [27] studied visitors to Hoi An, a World Heritage Site in Vietnam, discovering three motive dimensions: emotional, recreational, and educational/cultural. Three motive-based clusters, including a heritage tourism cluster, were identified among visitors at an historic site in Canada [60]. Nyaupane et al. [35] found three clusters of visitors to three NPS National Monuments with an historical orientation: culture-focused, culture attentive, and culture appreciative. The clusters differed along several variables with the culture-focused segment having the highest education and satisfaction levels.

Overall, motive-based segmentation studies have confirmed that tourists are not homogeneous, and segments can provide valuable information to tourism managers. A better understanding of segments and what attracts visitors can help achieve sustainable management of a site. Specific segments can be described and the most appropriate targeted for marketing efforts. To advance this line of research, this paper reports on a segmentation analysis of visitors to a national historic site experiencing declining visitation. This differs from previous research in several ways. Many previous studies have conducted research on visitors to a city or city center rather than a specific historic site that interprets a guided story [10,27,53,59]; this study uses motivation for particular experiences rather than the general motivation variables used by others [10,27,35,60] and, most importantly, segments are site-specific.

2. Materials and Methods

2.1. Study Site

Bent’s Old Fort is a National Historic Site on the high plains of eastern Colorado USA near the community of La Junta in Otero County, part of the Intermountain Region of the NPS (Figure 1 and Figure 2). The fort, located on the Arkansas River and the historic Santa Fe Trail which at the time was on the Mexico border, served as an important hub for peaceful trade between traders, trappers, travelers, and Native Americans primarily from the Cheyenne, Arapaho, Comanche, and Kiowa Tribes. The fort was designated as a National Historic Site in 1960 to preserve its location and associated resources and stories while providing opportunities for visitors. The fort was reconstructed during the US bicentennial and Colorado centennial in 1976 [61].

Today, Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site allows visitors to step back in time to the days of US westward expansion. The adobe fort offers a variety of sustainable tourism experiences (Figure 3). Visitors can participate in a ranger-led or a self-guided tour of the fort, viewing rooms authentically re-created for the time-period the fort operated from 1833 to 1849 (Figure 4). The fort inclusively interprets the daily lives of people who lived and traded at the fort including fur trappers and traders, native people, and enslaved persons. Special living history events are offered on occasion, and “Stories from the Borderlands” programs are offered monthly. The fort houses a variety of live animals and a gift shop. As well as the historic aspects of the fort, visitors may take a short hike along the Arkansas River to view grassland and wetland scenery and wildlife while reading wayside interpretive exhibits (Figure 5).

Though the fort is an important American heritage site, it has been experiencing declining visitation for several years, with a high of around 100,000 visits annually during and right after reconstruction, gradually dropping to a low of about 19,700 in 2023 but usually ranging from 20,000 to 25,000 visits annually over the past ten years (disregarding the effect of COVID-19 in 2020) [62]. The fort was chosen by the NPS as a pilot research site for the Intermountain Region’s Tourism Toolkit project that aims to address visitation to this and similar sites experiencing declining visitation. This effort is an attempt enhance the socio-cultural and economic sustainability of smaller parks across this region, which see less visitation compared with larger parks. This study informed a tourism strategy developed for the fort that is serving as a model for other sites.

2.2. Measurement and Sampling

A questionnaire was developed by the research team in collaboration with NPS staff. Appropriate questions were taken from the NPS Pool of Known Questions, a requirement for developing survey instruments for visitor studies with the NPS. The questionnaire was pre-tested for length and clarity by four tourism faculty members, an undergraduate level tourism planning class, and a member of the public that had previously visited Bent’s Old Fort. Based on this review, some minor modifications were made to the question wording and flow. All of the questions in the pool have been used many times in NPS research studies and are considered reliable and valid, thus a pilot survey onsite was deemed unnecessary.

The questionnaire and methods were approved by the US Office of Management and Budget and the university Internal Review Board. The questionnaire consisted of four major sections: trip planning that measured variables, such as past visitation, length of stay at the site, and planning horizon; importance of onsite activities and experiences including visitation motives and evaluations of overall experience; travel-related decisions such as length of trip and travel party; and some basic demographics.

The population of the study was all adult visitors (18 years old and older) to Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site in May through September 2024, the high-use season for the fort. Though year-long generalizability may be affected to some extent by this seasonal time frame, visitation is very low during other months, at less than 2000 visitors a month in early spring and late fall, and less than 600 a month in winter, resulting in inefficient data collection. In addition, it is during the summer months that visitation increases are likely to occur and, thus, these were the target of this study. A visitor survey was conducted to learn more about the people visiting the fort. Five days of sampling over weekend days and weekdays were conducted six times over the five-month period with visitors randomly selected and informed of their rights as participants. A random selection of visitors was intercepted throughout the day as they exited the site, provided with an explanation of the study, and asked to participate. Those who refused were recorded as non-respondents with surveyors documenting some basic variables such as group size, length of stay, and the reason for refusal. Data were collected electronically on tablets using Qualtrics XM survey software. A total of 572 questionnaires were collected which represented a response rate of 49 percent. This provides a sampling error of ±four percent at the 95% confidence interval.

2.3. Data Analysis

A visitor profile of general characteristics was developed using descriptive statistics. This was followed by cluster analysis of motivation items to segment visitors into groups. An initial hierarchical cluster analysis using Ward’s method, and the squared Euclidian distance was performed first to determine number of clusters. Results suggested a three-cluster solution based on the dendrogram. This was followed by a k-means cluster analysis to classify visitors into the three clusters [63]. To confirm motive differences between clusters, a MANOVA using Pillai’s Trace (V) as the test statistic tested for significance for the entire model controlling for intercorrelations among the dependent variables and reducing likelihood of a Type I error, while univariate F tests and Duncan multiple range post hoc tests demonstrated the motivation differences between the clusters for each dependent variable [64]. To determine the characteristics of each cluster, chi-square, ANOVA and MANOVA tests were performed to test for differences between the clusters for several variables.

3. Results

A general description of visitors to the historic site is presented in

Table 1. General description of visitors.

Characteristic	n	%	Characteristic	n	%
Gender			Local area residence
Female	258	51.0	Permanent residents	129	25.3
Male	234	46.2	Seasonal resident	14	2.8
Non-binary	5	1.0	Non-resident	366	71.9
Transgender	1	0.2
Prefer not to answer	8	1.4
Education			Travel party
Less than high school/Some high school	1	0.2	Individual traveling alone	59	11.8
			You and your spouse/partner	188	37.6
High school graduate	34	6.8	Family	216	43.2
Vocational/trade school certificate	16	3.2	Friends	29	5.8
			Family and Friends	5	1.0
Some college	64	12.8	Tour or other group	3	0.6
Professional degree	26	5.2
Associate degree	40	8.0
Bachelor’s degree	154	30.9
Master’s degree	133	26.7
Doctorate degree	31	6.2
	n	Mean		n	Mean
Age	480	53.8	Travel party composition
Length of trip (days)	279	2.6	Adults	506	2.3
			Children	504	0.6

. Respondents were fairly equally divided between those identifying as female (51%) and male (46%) with few identifying as non-binary or transgender (2%). The average age of visitors to the site was 54. Many had a high education level, with 77% having a degree beyond high school and only 7% with no post-secondary education or training. Many of the visitors to the site were traveling with a family (43%) or with a spouse/partner (38%) with an average of 2.3 adults (median = 2) and 0.6 children (median = 0) in travel parties. About 16% of travel parties had one adult, 62% had two adults and 13% had three adults; 62% of travel parties included no children. Most (72%) were not local residents who were on an overnight trip in the immediate region (within 2 h of the site). About half indicated they were staying in the local area for an average of two and a half days.

Visitors were motivated by a number of experiences offered at the site which were measured on a five-point importance scale (1 = not at all important to 5 = extremely important) displayed in

Table 2. Motives for vising the historic site (n = 547).

Motives	Not at All Important %	Slightly Important %	Moderately Important %	Very Important %	Extremely Important %	Mean
Experience the historic setting of the Fort	0.7	1.5	10.3	36.3	51.2	4.36
Appreciate American history	0.7	2.6	11.7	38.6	46.4	4.27
Learn about the history of Bent’s Old Fort	0.7	1.5	13.0	38.9	46.0	4.28
Appreciate the historic architecture at Bent’s Old Fort	1.3	5.2	14.7	32.8	46.0	4.17
Spend time with family/friends	9.4	5.2	11.9	31.9	41.7	3.91
Appreciate the scenic beauty	4.3	6.0	21.1	31.2	37.5	3.92
Experience the natural environment	3.5	5.2	24.5	32.6	34.3	3.89
Enjoy peace and quiet	7.6	7.6	25.5	26.1	33.3	3.70
Experience the sounds of nature	7.4	11.3	24.0	30.1	27.1	3.58
Learn from historic demonstrations	11.4	14.3	20.3	24.5	29.5	3.46
Experience cultural sounds	13.3	13.1	23.7	27.8	22.1	3.32

Measurement scale: 1 = not at all important to 5 = extremely important.

. Motivation items were developed to represent the experiences available at the historic site. As well as the historic aspects of the fort, the nature trail along the Arkansas River provides a nature experience, with opportunities to enjoy the grasslands and wetlands and view birds and other wildlife. For the most part, visitors rated the historical aspects of the site as the most important including experience the historic setting of the fort (m = 4.36), appreciate American history (m = 4.27), learn about the history of Bent’s Old Fort (m = 4.28), and appreciate the historic architecture at Bent’s Old Fort (4.17). The social experience is the next most important motive (m = 3.91) followed by the natural area experiences. The least important motives, though still on the “important” side of the scales, are experiences that are not available at the fort regularly: historic demonstrations (m = 3.46) and cultural sounds (m = 3.32).

The motive variables were subjected to cluster analysis to segment visitors into relatively homogeneous groups. Hierarchical cluster analysis was conducted to define the number of clusters to use. The dendrograms generated by hierarchical cluster analysis are open to interpretation. Ultimately, three motive-based clusters were determined to be the best balance of parsimony and cluster specificity. US western history is the story told at the site, but it is other aspects that differentiate the clusters. Cluster 1 is called Heritage Immersers, making up 37% of the total visitors for their interest in the entire range of experiences provided by the site; Cluster 2, 43% of visitors, is named History Appreciators, who are differentiated mainly by placing a high importance on the site’s historic attributes in relation to other motives; and Cluster 3, making up 21% of visitors, called Casual Sightseers for the somewhat lower levels of importance of history and very low importance of the other aspects of the site. A MANOVA test using Pillai’s Trace tested and highlighted the differences in visitation motives for the three clusters (

Table 3. Motives for vising the historic site by cluster.

	Means			Univariates
Motives	Cluster 1: Heritage Immersers Mean n = 170	Cluster 2: History Appreciators Mean n = 196	Cluster 3: Casual Sightseers Mean n = 96	F	p	Partial η2
Learn about the history of Bent’s Old Fort	4.74 a	4.03 b	3.97 b	56.0	0.00	0.20
Appreciate American history	4.73 a	4.02 b	3.91 b	54.3	0.00	0.19
Experience the historic setting of the Fort	4.85 a	4.18 b	3.91 c	70.4	0.00	0.24
Appreciate the historic architecture at Bent’s Old Fort	4.82 a	3.92 b	3.49 c	94.6	0.00	0.29
Learn from historic demonstrations	4.33 a	3.30 b	2.03 c	148.1	0.00	0.39
Appreciate the scenic beauty	4.81 a	3.80 b	2.64 c	269.2	0.00	0.54
Spend time with family/friends	4.62 a	3.68 b	3.15 c	61.2	0.00	0.21
Experience the sounds of nature	4.64 a	3.44 b	2.04 c	405.8	0.00	0.64
Experience cultural sounds	4.53 a	3.10 b	1.65 c	449.2	0.00	0.66
Experience the natural environment	4.76 a	3.79 b	2.59 c	319.2	0.00	0.58
Enjoy peace and quiet	4.72 a	3.58 b	2.19 c	318.9	0.00	0.58

Model statistics: V = 0.94; F = 36.4; p = 0.00; η² = 0.47. Means with the same superscript are not different at the 0.05 level.

). Tests found the model to be highly significant (V = 0.94; F = 36.4; p = 0.00) with a high effect size (Partial η² = 0.47) indicating a very good explanatory power. The Box’s test of equality of variances was significant; however, a Pillai’s Trace is the most robust of the MANOVA test statics, and a Box’s test is quite sensitive to large sample sizes, indicating that MANOVA is still an appropriate test. In addition, the Games–Howell test, used when there is inequality of variances, was used to determine significant differences between clusters for the post hoc tests.

To describe clusters and identify the ways they differ, comparisons were made between the clusters for several demographic and travel characteristics variables to further differentiate each cluster with respect to demographic and travel characteristics. There were no significant differences between clusters with respect to gender, age, education, or travel party composition. While non-residents predominated in all segments, Casual Sightseers were the most likely to be non-residents (83%) and the Heritage Immersers to be permanent residents (34%) in the area. In addition, while a majority of all respondents were employed, History Appreciators were more likely to be employed (69%) than the other segments, while Casual Sightseers (38%) were more likely to be retired (

Table 4. Cluster differences for demographic and travel characteristics.

Variables	Total %	Heritage Immersers %	History Appreciators %	Casual Sightseers %	Chi-Square	p
Local area resident
Permanent residents	26.2	34.2	24.3	16.1	12.11	0.02
Seasonal resident	3.1	3.2	3.9	1.1
Non-resident	70.7	62.6	71.8	82.8
Employment
Employed	61.9	57.8	68.5	55.6	11.88	0.02
Retired	30.6	29.9	27.5	37.8
Other	7.5	12.2	3.9	6.7
First time visitor to site
Yes	71.0	62.9	71.9	83.3	12.5	0.00
No	29.0	37.1	28.1	16.7
Special interest in historic sites
Yes	81.7	92.4	76.9	72.6	21.14	0.00
No	18.3	7.6	23.1	27.4
Destination relative to others
The sole destination of the trip	17.0	20.1	18.9	7.4	18.57	0.02
The most important destination of the trip	7.0	10.1	6.6	2.1
Only one of several equally important destinations on the trip	45.4	44.4	44.9	48.4
Just an incidental stop on the way to some other destination	17.2	13.0	17.3	24.2
A spur of the moment stop on a trip taken to other destinations	13.5	12.4	12.2	17.9
Overall experience
Very poor	0.2	0.6	0.0	0.0	38.96	0.00
Poor	0.2	0.0	0.5	0.0
Fair	3.7	1.2	5.6	4.2
Good	31.7	17.9	35.7	47.9
Excellent	64.1	80.4	58.2	47.9
Visit again
Yes, likely	67.5	84.8	64.7	42.4	36.19	0.00
No, unlikely	14.2	6.1	13.9	29.3
Not sure	18.3	9.1	21.4	28.3

).

Clusters were compared with other variables deemed to be useful to park managers (Table 4). There was not a statistically significant difference between clusters with respect to frequency of visitation to NPS sites (asked as a categorical variable ranging from not at all to several times a year), all clusters were made up of people who visit sites often, around half of each cluster indicating they visit several times a year. A higher percentage of Casual Sightseers were first time visitors to the fort (83%) with a smaller percentage of Heritage Immersers being first-time visitors (63%). Heritage Immersers were much more likely to report visiting western US historic sites as a hobby or special interest (92%) while a smaller percentage of casual sightseers indicated this special interest (73%). Most cluster members visited the fort as one of several equally important destinations, Heritage Immersers, however, were the most likely to be visiting the fort as either the sole (20%) or most important destination of the trip (10%) while few Casual Sightseers indicated this (7% and 2%, respectively). Casual Sightseers more often reported stopping as an incidental (24%) or spur of the moment stop (18%). While the rating of the overall experience was high for all clusters, it was much higher for Heritage Immersers (80% indicating excellent) and lowest though still quite good for Casual Sightseers (48% indicating excellent). A large percentage of Heritage Immersers indicated a likelihood of another visit (85%), with more History Appreciators unsure (21%) and Casual Sightseers either unsure (28%) or unlikely (29%) to re-visit.

4. Discussion

As with all research, this study has limitations. It was delimited to one historic site in the western US during the high season as this was the designated pilot site and time-frame for the Intermountain Region’s Tourism Toolkit project. Even with this limitation, it serves as an exemplary study for other sites experiencing declining visitation.

4.1. Segment Descriptions

Analysis revealed three distinct market segments among visitors to Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site. The segments have little overlap with differing motives for the visit, travel characteristics and visitation patterns.

The Heritage Immersers were motivated by both the cultural and natural heritage of the site. They felt all the opportunities provided by a visit to the Fort were important to them. Almost everyone in this segment indicated a special interest in visiting western US historic sites. Most were employed but a significant proportion were retired. They were the most likely to be local area residents and to have visited the fort before. The visitors in this cluster more often visited only the fort or considered it the most important place they were visiting, and rarely was the visit incidental. This segment had the highest rating of their overall experience and indicated they were very likely to visit again. Overall, this cluster can be described as dedicated visitors who seek an in-depth experience motivated by both heritage and nature, see historic sites as central to their trips, and wish to encounter aspects of culture related to history of the US West. This segment has some similarities to Nyaupane et al.’s [35] segment of culture-focused tourists, with their high importance on cultural history learning motives and the highest satisfaction levels, and Ramires et al.’s [10] absorptive cultural tourists made of many repeat visitors with the highest satisfaction levels.

History Appreciators found the historic aspects of the fort to be their primary motivator, with a fairly high percentage indicating a special interest in visiting western US historic sites. They were less likely to be local area residents than Heritage Immersers and the most likely to be employed. Almost three-quarters had not visited before. A visit was most often part of a longer trip but equal in importance to other destinations, though somewhat over a quarter indicated it was either an incidental or spur of the moment stop. They evaluated the experience highly though lower that Heritage Immersers and higher than Casual Sightseers. Many indicated they would likely visit again. Similar to Nyaupane et al.’s [35] culture-attentive tourists with a somewhat lower importance on learning motives, this cluster can be described as people who actively seek an educational experience focused on history as part of a longer trip while curiously navigating a site to see history in its true setting.

Causal Sightseers placed lower levels of interest on most aspects of the opportunities available. They had the same level of motivation as the History Appreciators to learn about the fort and appreciate American history, but their motivation was lower for all other variables, especially the nature experiences and soundscapes. The people in this segment were less likely than the other segments to indicate visiting western US historic sites as a special interest. They had the lowest education level (though still high). A fairly high percentage were retired, and a higher percentage were non-residents. Most had never visited the fort before. The visit to the fort was nearly always part of a longer trip, usually equally important to other sites but also sometimes an incidental or spur of the moment stop. They had the lowest rating of their overall experience (though still good) and were the least likely to visit again or be unsure of a repeat visit. Overall, this cluster can be described as those who are traveling in the western US with less interest in specific aspects of the site, wanting to visit many sites to get a taste of what a region has to offer. Again, some similarities to Nyaupane et al. [35] are evident in this cluster with the least historic learning motivation and lower satisfaction levels, as well as with Ramires et al. [10] who also found a segment which was less concerned with cultural attributes.

4.2. Implications

Theoretically, this study supports the use of motives as a segmentation strategy finding heterogeneity among visitors to an historic site resulting in three distinct segments. This is consistent with other studies that have also effectively segmented heritage markets using motives [7,10,27,32,35,56,57,60]. Like others, there tends to be a continuum of motivation from high importance on all motives to lower importance [35,45,56,57]. Like other studies, segments differ with respect to a variety of characteristics but not others. A number of studies have found little differentiation with respect to socio-demographic variables, which is also the case with this analysis [26,35] It is evident, however, that travel choices and behavior differ based on motivation as noted by other authors [26,35]. The Bent’s Old Fort segments demonstrated significant differences among many of these types of variables. Still, more work needs to be done with similar historic sites with declining visitation to gain a better understanding of who is visiting historic sites, identify patterns, and ascertain how to be relevant to visitors. Low visitation is not sustainable from a visitor management perspective and needs to be addressed.

The findings point to the importance of historical immersion and the educational value that such a visitor desires. Immersion, which can be considered being fully engaged in an activity or environment, and a tendency to want to revisit is posited by Gardiner et al. [24] who note the positive value from visiting historical attractions. Moreover, immersion is an experiential motive as argued by Richards [18], and such visitors sought in-depth encounters with the diversity of the site. The appreciation of history and interest in the historic attractions in the western US was most integral for the immersive visitors given Bent’s Old Fort is a site of special interest to those visitors. The complexity here can be a challenge for managers to address, and building on Timothy [16], demand considerations requiring decision-makers to balance the historic appeal of the site itself while offering more elements that brings history to life. Engagement, situated in these findings as immersion, does seem to increase satisfaction. But there are diverse motives, and encounters do not always require full immersion, because those who appreciate history have a strong awareness of attractions and opportunities across the region and will make dedicated visits to such sites of importance [29].

The results of this study have implications for sustainable management and marketing of the site. In general, site managers can tailor programming and marketing to the different segments, particularly emphasizing immersive historical experiences to maintain high levels of satisfaction and encourage repeat visits. The strategy could further integrate activities targeting the interests of younger audiences and local residents to foster community involvement. Addressing accessibility, such as improving paths, adding shuttle services, or enhancing parking for those with disabilities, could broaden the appeal of Bent’s Old Fort to a wider range of visitors, supporting the goal of inclusivity.

There is a clear segment, the Heritage Immersers, interested in the all-around experience, not just history. Many studies have found that nature and culture markets are not exclusive; a significant number of visitors are motivated by a variety of activities [21,31,36,45,55,60]. Several people in the segment are nearby residents, so they have the option of visiting regularly with less planning time; however, they need reasons to return. These may be special events and programs focused on the history and culture of the fort and the region in general, perhaps in conjunction with holidays or spring and fall breaks when children are not in school. Historic demonstrations as part of events would likely be of great interest to this segment. Because of their broad interest, this segment could be inspired to visit by other programs such as a guided nature hike or a place to take visiting friends and family. This segment may also be encouraged to visit with added promotion of the total experience, especially those who have not visited before. This segment is the fort’s primary target market. They can be reached through local media with a two-hour drive of the sites such as public service announcements regarding events, social media, and local newspapers.

The history-oriented segment, History Appreciators, would be interested in the same historic events and programs as the Heritage Immersers, but likely not other kinds of offerings. Since they are generally not local residents, it is somewhat harder to reach them with local promotion efforts. Cross-marketing with other historic sites, including the NPS sites but other agencies as well, is likely to reach this market (as well as Heritage Immersers). Many are history special interest travelers and visit NPS sites often, suggesting they also visit other historic sites. A visit to the fort can be promoted as a fairly short but rewarding stop during their travels. Messaging can be centered around the fort’s significance as an important historic trade center on the high plains of the US West.

Casual Sightseers are likely not a segment to target as they have the lowest motivation levels and were the most spurious in their decision to visit. Promotional efforts aimed at the other segments will certainly attract some of these visitors, but resources would be better used elsewhere. One way to reach them that can also benefit the other segments is to ensure there are signs within a 50–100 mile radius, as many of these visitors seek spontaneous experiences and would be willing to stop because signs will spark interest. These travelers may not be as motivated as other visitors, but they do have an interest in historic sites and seek spontaneous experiences and such awareness of the site might attract more of these visitors.

An overall tactic that might be considered by the NPS likely to appeal to all segments, but mainly the Heritage Immersers and History Appreciators, is a themed ‘trail’ of western historic sites that can be included as its own trip itinerary or as stops in a longer trip. There are numerous heritage sites with a history theme in the western US, many of which have lower levels of visitation, which could be promoted. Sites are often located very near major interstates or highways, and many are within a driving distance of two hours or less from an urban center, providing fairly easy access.

As this pilot study shows, segmentation studies provide valuable information for managing sustainable visitation when considering attractions that are experiencing declining visitation numbers. Other sites will use this study as a model to inform a tourism strategy and/or specific site planning. It allows researchers to reconsider visitor motives in a way that takes into account visitors’ purposes for the trip, allowing, in this case, park managers to develop programs and activities that appeal to specific visitor profiles. It also allows managers to better understand their visitors and provides support for an initiative by the Intermountain Region of the NPS to improve tourism marketing efforts at NPS sites with low visitation to manage sites more sustainably. Managers may create direct appeals that encourage immersion, and this in turn encourages intensions to revisit again, or persuade others to visit. In the short term, immersion might be a strategy to focus on promoting repeat and first-time visitation.

4.3. Future Research

Results will be used to attract more visitors to the site based on research that identifies characteristics of the most fruitful tourism markets for targeted promotion and experience development efforts. Park managers now have a much better understanding of their visitors, as each individual attraction needs to conduct research to understand the unique patterns and behaviors of their visitors. The study is a cross-sectional research effort and should be done every few years as visitor motivation and demand changes over time along with market trends and how people want to consume cultural heritage as pointed out by Pranskūnienė and Zabulionienė [65]. Visitor markets must be systematically monitored over time. Other sites can use this study as a model to try to address concerns of decreasing numbers of visitors. This will move researchers and managers toward more sustainable visitation management. The survey instrument was lengthy and conducted over a five-month period in an effort to gather a substantial amount of data which negatively impact response rates to an extent. Future instruments can be shorter with a rotating bank of questions now that a baseline has been established.

5. Conclusions

This study supports the use of motive-based market segmentation as a way to better understand and manage visitors and their interests. The findings of this study provide valuable insights into the diverse visitor demographics, motivations, and experiences at Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site. Visitors are primarily drawn to the site’s rich historical offerings, with significant interest in immersive and interactive experiences such as living history demonstrations, self-guided tours, and historic architecture. The segmentation of visitors into Heritage Immersers, History Appreciators, and Casual Sightseers highlights the varying levels of engagement and priorities, ranging from deeply immersive experiences to more casual and incidental stops. Residents and non-residents also demonstrate differing preferences, with local visitors seeking recreational and community-focused amenities, while non-residents focus on historical learning as part of broader travel itineraries.

While results are not generalizable to other sites, the study underscores the importance of tailoring site management and marketing strategies to meet the diverse needs of visitors. It points out the strong interest in diverse experiences among a substantial portion of visitors to an historic site even extending beyond the core attraction of US western history. This is useful information for sustainable management of the site; managers now have a detailed profile of visitors and are aware that they are attracted to multiple experiences as part of their visit. As other parks with a similar offering work towards sustainable visitor management practices, they can consider segmentation analysis to support observations of visitor demands and engagement patterns. Further, this type of analysis assists with creating value within the visitor experience. This study identified Heritage Immersers, History Appreciators, and Casual Sightseers, so this can be used as a basis for interpretation, but we encourage researchers to discover trends they see from visitors at their specific park so that the outcomes of the research speak to the current desires of their visitors.

This study was a pilot project intended to serve as a model for other sites facing similar challenges as a start toward generating sustainable visitation and site management. Visitor research is the underpinning of a sustainable tourism strategy and other sites can refer to this pilot study as they develop their own strategies. Understanding visitor behaviors and engagement patterns is integral to enhancing future satisfaction and understanding preferences. Understanding visitor practices and preferences in cultural heritage attractions is the foundation for building a sustainable tourism future at the site, as these sites unite individuals with unique special interests who sustain visitation and likely the future of the site.