Activity-based market segmentation in a rural tourism destination: A case study of west-central Michigan

The primary purpose of this study is to fill the gap between rural tourism and activity-based segmentation by applying activity-based segmentation to profile rural tourists in the west-central Michigan region. Both a priori (the type and number of segments are decided before data collection) and post hoc (segments are divided in terms of a set of defined characteristics after the data are collected) approaches are applied in the study. Three samples were drawn from transient, overnight and potential visitors.;The results of this study lend support to previous studies in the following two ways. First, the findings prove that activity is a valuable segmentation base from either the a priori or the post hoc approach. In the a priori approach, significant activities such as boating, festival/events, hiking/walking, shopping, and visiting a federal/state park were found among all three populations sampled. In the post hoc approach, latent class analysis identified three to four classes (segments) among the samples with light activity (including both outdoor and general) participants, no preference activity participants, and cultural tourists making up the largest segments. Second, the socio-demographic, trip related, travel expenditures, lodging choices, motivations, perceptions of destination attributes, and knowledge of attractions variables were found to be helpful for profiling segments in both the a priori and post hoc approaches. Tourists' knowledge of attractions is an especially useful variable for profiling segments since activity participation relates to the type of resources at attractions such as the Pere Marquette River and others. For example, the study area is known for abundant water resources for boating activities. Surprisingly, there were still many respondents who said they enjoyed boating but did not know about or were aware of but had not visited these attractions. Therefore, understanding the relationship between attractions and activity participation can directly assist tourism planners to improve efforts to promote their areas.;The post hoc approach involved advanced statistical analysis (latent class analysis), which has not yet been commonly used in tourism research. But, the approach proved useful for identifying activities from a broad range that a planner might promote that would most appeal to the target segment. For example, outdoor tourists tend to participate in a range of outdoor activities such as boating and camping. Compared with the post hoc approach, the a priori might be an easier approach for tourism planners to use to find interesting segments and then profile them. But, the a priori approach alone might lead a planner to promote only boating and miss tourists with other outdoor interests. Because a priori and post hoc analysis could be applied to the same survey derived data set with only a marginal increase in the cost, employing both is generally advisable. Adding the post hoc approach could help the planner focus promotions to draw the attention of tourists who would most enjoy the attractions available. This study demonstrated that combining the two approaches yields the best information for promoting an area. In this study area specifically, light general activity participants were the largest segment, so the advertising for the area should address the variety of activities offered but also highlight specific activities such as boating and hiking/walking that were identified as significant in the a priori findings.