02.05.2019

Collecting and Analysing Data on Tourist Mobility. Methodological Challenges and Empirical Applications

Main event: Lectures "WIFO-Extern"
Persons: Mauro Ferrante
Language: Englisch
Österreichisches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung
Tourists move by definition from the place of residence to the destination region, as well as between destinations, and between attractions within the same destination. These phenomena present several issues which are related both to the collection of information and to the analysis of complex information such as the ones related with tourist itineraries. An improved understanding of tourist mobility can assist DMOs to fully capture the benefit of cooperative marketing strategies between destinations and among tourism services within the same destination. Furthermore, increased knowledge regarding the determinants of tourist mobility can result in a more focused marketing of tourism products and services. In this lecture, traditional survey methods and the potential coming from the use of new technologies for the analysis of tourist mobility, such as GPS devices are discussed along with their merits and pitfalls. Special attention will be given to the implementation of sampling procedure, and Time Location Sampling is introduced as a potential solution in surveying mobile populations. From several case studies we can describe empirically the main problems arising in the analysis of tourist mobility and propose some potential solutions for the collection and analysis of data on tourist mobility at different temporal and territorial scales.