Expenditure Patterns of Foreign Resident Visitors and Foreign Tourist Visitors at a Day-Trip Nature-Based Destination

In this study, we examined the difference in expenditure patterns between foreign resident visitors and foreign tourist visitors at a nature-based destination. We also examined the effects of sociodemographic profiles, travel characteristics, and perceived importance on expenditure patterns during off-peak and peak seasons. Generally, the results revealed low average daily expenditure compared with other nature-based destinations. Whereas no differences were observed during the off-peak season, the sociodemographic characteristics, travel characteristics, perceived importance, and expenditure pattern differed between foreign resident and foreign tourist visitors during the peak season. These results suggest that patterns of expenditure and perceived importance of foreign visitors are influenced by the seasonality of a nature-based destination. On the other hand, foreign resident visitors and foreign tourist visitors differ in their characteristics, perceived importance of destination attributes, and expenditure patterns, particularly during the peak season. Longer periods of residence in the host country might result in foreign resident visitors becoming local visitors. Our findings contribute to practical knowledge of the segmentation of foreign visitors at nature-based destinations.


Introduction
International tourism in Japan has grown significantly since the renewed policy focus on "inbounds" from 1996 [1]. The Visit Japan Campaign was launched in 2003 to promote international travel, resulting in an increase of visitors from 3.8 to 8.3 million in 2008. In 2008, the Japan Tourism Agency was established to promote international tourism [2]. However, growth in inbound demand has been relatively recent, and monitoring of inbound tourists [3], as well as their characteristics and behaviors, has not been well documented.
The expenditure of tourists depends on interactions between visitors and local destinations, such as transportation, food/beverage, and gift/souvenir costs [4,5] Expenditure patterns of tourists have been evaluated extensively [6,7] because tourism is directly related to economic benefits for destinations and countries [8,9]. Generally, tourist expenditure patterns are influenced by a wide range of sociodemographic and economic, psychological, trip-related, and destination-related variables [10][11][12][13]. However, so far, few studies have addressed the relationship between destination attributes and expenditure patterns.
The different characteristics and expenditure behavior of foreign resident visitors and foreign tourist visitors are crucial information, as foreign resident visitors offer the potential for frequent repeat and short-break visits during the off-peak season [14]. Although foreign resident visitors are considered international visitors, they may exhibit different behaviors from those of foreign tourists. Glover [15] noted that foreign resident visitors who extend their stay in the host country may assimilate to the characteristics of residents. Frleta [16] analyzed tourists according to origin (domestic vs. foreign) and classified them as light or heavy spenders. Domestic tourists were found to spend less than foreign tourists in the light spender group. Differences between resident visitors and tourists are anticipated, even among foreign visitors, because the demands of foreign resident visitors and tourist visitors differ significantly and may affect expenditure [17]. In this regard, differences in expenditure patterns between local and foreign visitors have been discussed to some extent [14,17], but little is known about the differences in expenditure patterns between foreign resident visitors and foreign tourist visitors at nature-based destinations.
In addition to the visitors' characteristics, the season may also influence tourist expenditure. Existing studies have evaluated the effect of season on visitor behavior at various destination types [18,19]. Saetórsdóttir [20] mentioned that seasonality is commonly associated with variations in supply and demand at tourism destinations and may affect visitor expenditure. As tourists have different preferences during different seasons [21], and the level of satisfaction differs from season to season [22], seasonality affects expenditure. Several activities offered at tourism destinations, particularly at nature-based attractions, are highly dependent on season. A review by Brida and Scuderi [23] reported that expenditure is increased during summer. The products and services offered during a given season may influence the preference and expenditure of visitors. Visitors who visit during summer tend to spend more compared with other seasons. Frleta [16] observed a difference in daily expenditure between light and heavy spenders during the off-peak season at sun and sea destinations in Croatia. In addition, Japanese culture and traditions are closely related to seasonal variations, with popular foods and products tending to change from one season to another [24]. Connell et al. [25] analyzed the relationships of events and attractions with seasonality and found that events and attractions are influenced by season. Thus, it is also important to explore seasonal effects on foreign visitors' characteristics and expenditure behavior.
Seasonality is often linked to nature-based tourism, and seasonal nature-based activities can be frequently advertised in destination marketing material [20,25,26]. Nature-based tourism in Japan, including visits to protected areas such as national parks, ranks among the fastest growing segments of the tourism sector [26,27]. Although nature-based destinations contribute significantly to the overall tourism industry, limited information is available on the domestic market, which includes not only local visitors but also foreign resident visitors. The present study examined the differences between foreign resident visitors and foreign tourist visitors to a day-trip nature-based destination (Mt. Takao, Tokyo, Japan) in terms of sociodemographics; travel characteristics; the perceived importance of destination attributes in their decisions to visit; expenditure on food and beverages, souvenirs, and activities; and total expenditure during off-peak and peak seasons. The present study attempts to answer the following questions: • What are the general characteristics of foreign visitors and the differences between foreign resident visitors and foreign tourist visitors in nature-based destinations? • Are there any differences between foreign resident visitors and foreign tourist visitors in their perceived importance of nature-based destinations? • Are there any differences between foreign resident visitors and foreign tourist visitors in their expenditure pattern in nature-based destinations?
These are significant objectives given the dearth of research on this topic, and we aim to broaden our understanding of the expenditure behaviors of foreign resident visitors and foreign tourist visitors. This study contributes to the growing body of literature on the sociodemographics, travel characteristics, perception of importance, and expenditure patterns of foreign visitors to nature-based destinations.

Study Site
The study site, Mt. Takao, is located in Tokyo, Japan, 50 min from midtown Tokyo by main train lines, and is easily accessed from the city's two major airports. Mt. Takao is accessible not only to foreign resident visitors but also to foreign tourist visitors as a day-trip destination [28]. Mt. Takao offers a range of attractions, including nature-, culture-, and heritage-based attractions. It attracts many domestic and international visitors during the autumn for its views and is a hotspot for hikers during summer [28]. The mountain peak offers spectacular views and Mt. Fuji can occasionally be clearly seen from the summit. The site's hundred-year-old temple is famous among locals, and statues of deities are located along the route to the temple. The availability of both natural and cultural attractions, a unique characteristic for a nature-based destination, differentiates Mt. Takao from other nature-based destinations around the world [29]. Other attractions, including Japanese cuisine, such as tororo soba, and a hot spring, are also available at Mt. Takao [30]. There is also museum to provide information to visitors about the site's history and the Japanese cultural tradition of onsen [28]. Mt. Takao shows a clear tourism seasonality; the temperature is warmer and interspersed with rainy days during the low season in June-July. Hiking is one of the top activities among visitors during this season. October until early December is the peak season for Mt. Takao when the leaves change color and offer spectacular views alongside the colder weather in autumn. In addition, Mt. Takao has famously earned the nickname "Beer Mount" [28], as many festivals and events are organized there during peak season, including all-you-can-drink beer events on the summit.

Questionnaire Survey
Data were collected between May and July 2018, the low season, and between October and November 2018, the peak season, with 742 respondents in total. The questionnaire was developed in the English language as the target respondents were foreign visitors. The respondents were asked to fill in the questionnaire after they finished their visit and were approached around the train station. The area around the train station is crowded with visitors most of the time. Thus, it is almost impossible to target all foreign visitors at one time due to limitations of time and human resources. Hence, non-probability sampling with a convenience method was used to distribute the questionnaire to foreign visitors at Mt. Takao. Convenience sampling allowed data to be collected in the most practical way, as the population of foreign visitors to Mt. Takao was unknown. Convenience sampling was used to generate a heterogeneous sample of foreign visitors from foreign residents and foreign tourists [31,32].
The questionnaire was divided into four sections: sociodemographics, travel characteristics, perceived importance, and expenditure. The questionnaires were distributed to visitors after their visit to Mt. Takao. For the sociodemographics section, gender, age, level of education, status (resident or tourist), and nationality, which was later grouped into continent, were recorded. In this study, a foreign tourist visitor was defined as a short-stay visitor who stays of up to 90 days in Japan for tourism, business, visiting friends or relatives, and so on. A foreign resident visitor was distinguished by a longer stay period in Japan during which remunerative work was undertaken or a stay of over 90 days in Japan [33]. Travel characteristics included travel companions, group size, and repeat visits. Travel companions included friends, college, family, and couples. Respondents were also asked if this was their first visit or if they visited Mt. Takao weekly, monthly, or annually.
Variables related to perceived importance were adopted from previous research and adapted to the study site. These variables were related to specific attributes, such as the activities and services offered at the destination, and to characteristics such as scenery, flora, and fauna. The information gathered from websites listed by the Japan National Tourism Organization [28], the Tourist Information Centre, and the latter site's guidebook were also used to select the variables. These variables can also be categorized as "variables related to the characteristics of the destination" [34]. The respondents were asked to evaluate 25 listed attributes, according to a five-point Likert scale, from extremely unimportant to extremely important with regard to their influence on their decision to visit Mt. Takao. In accordance with Hu and Ritchie [35], and Zakaria and Aziz [36], the touristic attributes of perceived importance were further categorized based on their characteristics; for example, nature-based, cultural, historical, and heritage-based attributes, accessibility, and services and products.
In the expenditure section, respondents were asked how much they spent on food/ beverages, souvenirs, and activities. All expenditures from each category were summed to estimate the total expenditure [13,37].

Statistical Analysis
Descriptive analysis was used to determine the rates for the sociodemographics, travel characteristics, mean perceived importance, and expenditure for each category during the low and peak seasons. Fisher's exact test was used to compare the prevalence of sociodemographic and travel characteristics between two independent groups [38] during each season. The current study applied Fisher's exact test as the test provides an exact value and the significance of the deviation from a null hypothesis can be presented accurately [38][39][40][41]. The Kruskal-Wallis test was used to compare the mean scores for perceived importance and expenditure between foreign resident visitors and foreign tourist visitors. Table 1 presents the sociodemographic characteristics of foreign visitors to Mt. Takao. The percentage of male visitors (58.2%) was higher than that of female visitors. With respect to age, 45.1% of the visitors ranged between 26 and 35 years. The highest education level of the majority of visitors was university/college, whereas that of the smallest group was primary school. There were more foreign tourist visitors (59.2%) than foreign resident visitors. Most visitors visited alone (19.5%), followed by those who visited as couples or with family, and the fewest visited with colleagues. Most visitors arrived in small groups, fewer than three per group (73.3%). The majority of visitors were first-time visitors (80.5%), as opposed to those who visited weekly, monthly, or annually or those who had visited once prior.  The variables were compared between foreign resident visitors and tourist visitors during the low and peak seasons. During the low season, the two groups differed significantly with respect to education level, continent, and repeat visits. During the peak season, all factors except level of education differed significantly (p < 0.05) between foreign resident visitors and foreign tourist visitors. Table 2 shows the mean perceived importance values for 25 attributes for foreign resident visitors and foreign tourist visitors during the low and peak seasons. During the low season, three attributes were found to be significantly different between the groups. Foreign resident visitors assigned greater importance to all nature-based attributes compared with foreign tourist visitors, whereas foreign tourist visitors assigned greater importance to cultural, historical, and heritage-based attributes, specifically to four out of the five attributes. During the peak season, only 6 of 25 attributes were not significant (p > 0.05). Foreign tourist visitors assigned greater importance to 23 attributes compared with foreign resident visitors.

Mean Expenditure by Foreign Visitors at Mt. Takao According to Expenditure Category
Four expenditure categories were analyzed in the current study (Figure 1). Aside from the total expenditure, the highest expenditure was on food and beverage (USD 14.21 per day), followed by souvenirs (USD 8.04) and activities (USD 1.10). The average amount spent per day by foreign visitors in Mt. Takao was USD 23.36.

Mean Expenditure by Foreign Visitors at Mt. Takao According to Expenditure Catego
Four expenditure categories were analyzed in the current study ( Figure 1). from the total expenditure, the highest expenditure was on food and beverage 14.21 per day), followed by souvenirs (USD 8.04) and activities (USD 1.10). The av amount spent per day by foreign visitors in Mt. Takao was USD 23.36. As shown in Figure 1, during the low season, foreign tourist visitors spent money on food and beverages (USD 16.50) than did foreign resident visitors (USD Foreign resident visitors spent more money on souvenirs (USD 4.13) and activities 0.40) compared with foreign tourist visitors (USD 3.19 and 0.28, respectively). In te As shown in Figure 1, during the low season, foreign tourist visitors spent more money on food and beverages (USD 16.50) than did foreign resident visitors (USD 14.71). Foreign resident visitors spent more money on souvenirs (USD 4.13) and activities (USD 0.40) compared with foreign tourist visitors (USD 3.19 and 0.28, respectively). In terms of total expenditure, foreign tourist and resident visitors spent USD 19.98 and 19.23, respectively. There were no differences in any of the expenditure categories, except for activities, between the groups.
During the peak season, foreign tourist visitors spent more money in all categories (USD 14.83 on food and beverage, USD 14.34 on souvenirs, USD 1.85 on activities, and USD 31.01 total) compared with foreign resident visitors (USD 11.21, 3.79, 0.94, and 15.94, respectively). There were significant differences in expenditure on souvenirs (df = 1, x 2 = 24 and p < 0.001), activities (df = 1, x 2 = 26 and p < 0.001), and total expenditure (df = 1, x 2 = 20 and p < 0.001), but not for food and beverages, between the groups.

General Characteristics of Foreign Visitors to Mt. Takao
Our results suggest that many foreign visitors to Mt. Takao are young or middle-aged. This finding is consistent with those of existing studies showing that younger visitors tend to visit destinations that offer a range of physical activities and prefer active and interactive experiences [42,43]. However, the study population might have been biased toward Western visitors because some continents, such as Africa, South America, and the Middle East, were not included in this study, as the rate of participation in the survey from these areas was very low. Respondents from China and some parts of Southeast Asia faced a language barrier during the survey. They tended to decline participation in the survey because they could not understand English. However, the bias effect was likely small because visitors generally did not distinguish among nationalities during the survey process, and the quantitative data could be ambiguous [44]. However, this limitation should be addressed in further studies.
During the peak season, all sociodemographic and travel variables, except for level of education, differed significantly between foreign resident and tourist visitors. However, during both seasons, travel with friends, travel in small groups (one to three people), and first-time visits were most common. Foreign tourist visitors were more likely to travel in smaller groups (one to three people) compared with foreign resident visitors, who were more likely to travel in groups of four to six or seven to nine people. This suggests that foreign resident visitors prefer to visit with friends or to meet up in large groups. The travel characteristics of foreign resident visitors might have been influenced by the purpose of their visit, for example, visiting friends and relatives [7], as visiting friends and relatives is not influenced by seasonality at tourism destinations [45,46].

Perceived Importance of Foreign Visitors at Mt. Takao
Foreign resident visitors tended to show high perceived importance of nature-based attributes while foreign tourist visitors showed high perceived importance of cultural, history and heritage attributes. Significant differences in perceived importance between foreign resident visitors and tourist visitors were also observed during the peak season. During the peak season, foreign tourist visitors perceived 92% (23 of 25) of attributes as more important compared with foreign resident visitors. This result is logical considering that Mt. Takao is a nature-based destination with rich scenery during the peak season that is likely to attract tourists. Mt. Takao's scenery during autumn, which is the peak season in Mt. Takao, might offer similar scenery as that of other destinations in Tokyo, and foreign resident visitors perceived the scenery as less important compared with foreign tourist visitors. The attributes of the destination might be new and more interesting to foreign tourists compared with resident visitors, probably because being a resident visitor would entail some cultural influence on domestic travelers' tourism preferences [47].
Differences in perceived importance of destination products and services between foreign resident visitors and tourist visitors during the peak season should be highlighted. Festivals and events, such as beer festivals, are mostly held during the peak season. While these festivals might be commonplace for foreign resident visitors, they may be perceived as more important by foreign tourist visitors. Festivals may be viewed as new attractions for foreign tourist visitors, particularly as each festival has its own idiosyncrasies [48,49]. Food and beverages, such as seasonal sake (Japanese alcohol) and sweet potato, which are available mainly during the peak season, might appeal more to foreign tourist visitors than to foreign resident visitors, who are likely familiar with these products from living in the host country.

Expenditure of Foreign Visitors
Our results showed that the total expenditures for both foreign resident visitors and foreign tourist visitors were USD 19.23 and USD 19.98 during the low season and USD 15.94 and USD 31.01 during the peak season, respectively. This suggests that the expenditure levels of foreign visitors are generally low at Mt. Takao compared with other naturebased destinations [11,50], urban destinations [51], and sun and sea destinations [52]. Mehmetoglu [26] reported that 61% of tourists spent less than EUR 63 per day (USD 75) at nature-based attractions. Rinne and Saastamoinen [53] also reported a low expenditure per day by tourists at nature-based destinations (EUR 18.2 (USD 21.70)) as the overall daily expenditure on tourism in Kuhmo Municipality, Eastern Finland, was found to be EUR 19.0 (USD 22.66). Based on the findings of the present study, it may be concluded that the expenditure of foreign visitors at Mt. Takao is low.
Mehmetoglu [26] and Lovelock et al. [50] suggested that tourist spending behavior is closely related to activities at the destination, particularly at nature-based destinations. However, spending on activities was the lowest among the three expenditure categories (Figure 1). In this context, although all attributes are part of the destination's experience [54], most tourist attractions at Mt. Takao are free of charge even though they involve visitor consumption from the nature-based destination perspective. The low expenditure of foreign visitors at Mt. Takao may also be because Mt. Takao is a day-trip destination (JNTO, 2019), thus precluding any accommodation expenses for most foreign visitors. In addition, Pouta et al. [55] reported that 52% of the trips taken by visitors to national parks involve high expenses. Many visitors require field guides for activities at naturebased destinations [56], but first-time visitors to Mt. Takao do not generally need a local nature guide because all of the hiking trails there are accessible without assistance [28]. Moreover, transportation expenses were not taken into account, as we focused exclusively on expenses incurred within the Mt. Takao area, where the only transportation is cable cars or chairlifts [28].
In general, foreign visitors may be interested in buying local food and beverages, souvenirs, and activities [34]. However, the relatively poor food and souvenir availability to foreign visitors at Mt. Takao may result in less spending in this arena. Foreign resident visitors spent only USD 14.71 and USD 11.21, whereas foreign tourists spent USD 16.50 and USD 14.83, on food/beverages during the low and peak seasons, respectively. Foreign resident visitors spent USD 4.13 and USD 3.79, whereas foreign tourist visitors spent USD 3.19 and USD 14.34, on souvenirs during the low and peak seasons, respectively. The most renowned food at Mt. Takao is tororo soba (Japanese buckwheat noodle) [30], but it was less preferred by both foreign resident visitors and tourist visitors compared with other foods (Table 2). Some groups of tourists, such as Italian, Indian, and French tourists, may prefer their own national cuisine, and it is important for destinations to cater to these preferences to increase revenue in food and beverages [57]. The food and beverages sold at Mt. Takao may be less interesting to foreign visitors (Table 2). Additionally, souvenirs that are authentic in terms of traditional features and locality could also enhance the likelihood of purchase [58]. Earlier studies also found that authentic souvenirs related to local identity affect consumption [59,60]. Thus, the type of souvenirs available may influence expenditure at a destination.

Difference of Expenditure between Foreign Resident Visitors and Foreign Tourist Visitors
We found that the total spending of foreign tourist visitors was significantly higher than that of foreign resident visitors during the peak season ( Figure 1). The significant difference in the total expenditure was attributed to souvenir expenses. Souvenirs are likely more attractive to foreign tourist visitors compared with the resident visitors, who have been living in the host country. Some souvenirs, such as tenugui (cotton towels), which are illustrated with autumn leaves, are closely related to peak season and might be more attractive to foreign tourists [61].
We found significant differences in the perceived importance of, and spending on, Japanese restaurants and food/beverages, including tororo soba, between foreign resident and foreign tourist visitors during peak season. The greater importance assigned by foreign tourist visitors to services and products might entice them to spend more money on these items, as they constitute a new experience. This was supported by the greater perceived importance assigned to dining in Japanese restaurants and expenditure on tororo soba among foreign tourist visitors ( Table 2). This included seasonal products, such as different food and beverages that are only available during peak season, as mentioned in the previous section [62,63]. Thus, the variation in product purchases depending on the season might also indirectly influence the expenditure of foreign visitors.
The low expenditure level may also suggest that shopping activities are influenced by the information and opportunities provided by tour guides to foreign tourists visiting in groups [51]. Lower spending by foreign resident visitors during peak season may be due to the purpose of the visit, such as visiting friends and relatives or younger age groups. This aligns with a study by Park, Woo, and Nicolau [13], who indicated that tourists traveling to visit friends and relatives spend less money compared with leisure travelers. The higher expenditure levels of foreign tourists might be because they are often first-time visitors, who are more likely than repeat visitors to participate in activities and purchase local souvenirs [64].

Conclusions
The results of this study strongly suggest that foreign resident visitors and foreign tourist visitors differ in their characteristics, perceived importance of destination attributes, and expenditure patterns, particularly during the peak season. Foreign tourists who visited during the peak season placed greater importance on 92% of attributes evaluated. Seasonality had some influence on perceived importance and thus on expenditure, with foreign tourist visitors spending more during peak season compared with foreign resident visitors, as the availability of certain events, scenery, and products differs between the peak and low seasons. Therefore, we conclude that patterns of expenditure and perceived importance of foreign visitors are influenced by the seasonality of nature at nature-based destinations, but their effects differ between foreign resident visitors and foreign tourist visitors. Destination management should devise strategies to attract more foreign visitors, particularly foreign resident visitors, during the low season by arranging more events and festivals. The present study emphasizes the significance of the segmentation of foreign visitors at nature-based destination to address the differences between the two populations.