7th International Forum on Tourism StatisticsStockholm, Sweden, 9-11 June 2004

NEW RESEARCH LINES ON TOURISM INFORMATION SYSTEMS: POTENTIAL

DEMAND ANALYSES

Valdés, L., Torres, E., Del Valle, E.

Tourism Information System of Asturias

Traditionally, the main components of a Tourism

Information System (TIS) are based on three fundamental

pillars (WTO, 2002): the analysis of current tourism demand,

the analysis of current offer and

the macroeconomic analysis of tourism activity

There are an increasing demand of information from the

private and public policy-makers. Some of then are: Tourism in private accommodation Further deepening in methodologies of tourist expenditure

estimation Tourism sustainability indicators Potential Demand Analyses.

The Tourism Information System of Asturias (SITA) has been

working into the aforementioned research lines, implementing several

statistics operations to know the real and relevance role of the

tourism in Asturias, an Objective nº1UE Region, with a particular

socio economics problems and rationalization of industry.

Generally, the study of the tourist demand has been outlined from the viewpoint of the destination:

analysing the habits of the visitors' trip,

their preferences, attitudes,

behaviours and valuations during their trip in the visited place…

Although it analyses the behaviour of the consumers of products and tourism services of the current visitor,

it does not detect the potential.

This descriptive approach obviates new segments of visitors involving a weakness in tourism

commercialisation plans as they repeatedly influence in the same markets and tourism typologies.

The Demand Analyses regarding Potential Destination (PDA) should be framed in

this context trying to solve these lacks and substantially improve knowledge of the

tourism demand.

Basically they consist in research on the characteristics of the trips of the residents in

a city and the fundamental aims are determining and segmenting the potential of that

concrete geographical market, taking as reference the perceptions on a concrete

destination, generically denominated Potential Destination.

We have defined and analysed four large blocks of potential source

markets of visitors to Asturias applying the PDAs regarding Asturias.

Oporto

La Coruña

Vigo

Atlanticmarket

Bilbao San SebastiánCantabrianmarket

Valencia

Levantinemarket

León

Burgos

Valladolid

Castilianmarket

Palencia

OBJETIVES OF THE POTENTIAL DEMAND ANALYSIS

The PDAs carried out by SITA have five fundamental objectives:

1. Determination of the geographical environment of interest;

2. Analysis of the holiday habits of the residents;

3. Study of their holiday habits with regard to the destination;

4. Evaluation of their choice dynamics of tourist destinations;

5. Forecasting the frequency and characteristics of trips in source with regard to the Potential

Destination.

The first phase consists on the identification, as a market of interest, of

points or geographical areas where the second phase, consisting of a

survey of the resident population, will be developed

Four fundamental principles :

The geographical principle of vicinity, in time and / or distance is the first essential element when thinking

about new tourism markets.

Using secondary statistical sources can allow us knowing the main socio-demographic characteristics of the

resident population of a region

analysing the services and products which tourists of the source market consume in the Potential

Destination, by means of a survey in destination which determines the main characteristics of the current

demand

The fourth research axis quantifies the current importance of this source market, using the demand analysis

in destiny with the above mentioned indicators.

DETERMINATION OF THE GEOGRAPHICAL ENVIRONMENT OF INTEREST

Basic parameters of the survey:

A personal interview structured by means of a questionnaire.

the object population of this survey are the residents over 18 years of age who travel for holiday or

leisure reasons.

The absence of the sample frame means the design of a combined sampling of quotas plan, in function

of age, sex and neighbourhood residence, and of random routes.

A maximum sampling error of 5% at the confidence level of 95%.

Usually the duration of the fieldwork is limited habitually from five to ten consecutive days in low

tourist season

METHODOLOGY OF THE SURVEY

Variables of the questionnaire

METHODOLOGY OF THE SURVEY

AREAS OF KNOWLEDGE VARIABLES

GEOGRAPHICAL ENVIRONMENT City Realization area Autonomous community

HOLIDAY HABITS

Duration of the trip Destination Accommodation type Frequency of the trips Activities Sport activities contracted

CHOICE DYNAMICS OF DESTINATION

Reasons for choice of the destination Design of the trip Aspects of the accommodation Search for information Reasons for renting the accommodation

PREVIOUS VISITS TO THE POTENTIAL

DESTINATION Reason for the trip Private accommodation in the Potential Destination

CONFIGURATION OF THE TRIP TO THE

POTENTIAL DESTINATION

Possibility of choosing Potential Destination Organization of the trip to Potential Destination Search for information Configuration of the trip to Potential Destination

PERCEPTIONS OF THE POTENTIAL

DESTINATION

Concepts / ideas on Potential Destination Visited bordering regions Weaknesses of Potential Destination as opposed to other

communities Strengths of Potential Destination as opposed to other

regions

CONTROL VARIABLES Sex Age Profession

DESCRIPTIVE RESULT

GENERAL CONFIGURATION OF THE TRIP

Short trips Long weekends / Bank holidays Medium length trips Long stay trips

Type of trip in function of its duration

Destinations Nearby regions Other destinations Type of accommodation Type of accommodation according to destination Frequency of trip according to destination

Choice reasons of a destination Configuration of the trip Activities Sport activities contracted Importance of aspects of accommodation Search for information Reasons for contracting one type of accommodation or another

PERCEPTIONS ON THE POTENTIAL DESTINATION (PD)

Concepts / ideas on PD Bordering regions visited Weaknesses of PD as opposed to other regions Strengths of PD as opposed to other regions

CONFIGURATION OF THE TRIP TO POTENTIAL DESTINATION (PD)

Main purpose for trip Private accommodation in PD Possibility to choose accommodation in PD

Estimated price of trip Accommodation in the PD Type of board Excursions and transfers

Global City hotels Rural accommodation

Theoretic planning of the trip to PD

Organization of the trip to PD Search for information

GENERAL CONFIGURATION OF THE TRIP

Examples: Importance of aspects of the accommodation

Activities

Architectureand design

Setting andenvironment

Comfort offacilities

Others

Price

Extra services

Valuedaspects

Activities

Architectureand design

Setting andenvironment

Comfort offacilities

Others

Price

Extra services

Valuedaspects

Examples: Organization of the trip to the Potential Destination

CONFIGURATION OF THE TRIP TO POTENTIAL DESTINATION (PD)

Tourism Intermediary by Travel agencies

Tourism Intermediary by Travel agencies

Without Tourism

IntermediaryWithout Tourism

Intermediary

Partial contracting of services:

•Only Accommodation•Stay...

Full contracting of Journey and stay in

destination

Through family and friends

On own account

Organisation of a trip to a destination

Tourism Intermediary by Travel agencies

Tourism Intermediary by Travel agencies

Without Tourism

IntermediaryWithout Tourism

Intermediary

Partial contracting of services:

•Only Accommodation•Stay...

Full contracting of Journey and stay in

destination

Through family and friends

On own account

Organisation of a trip to a destination

Examples: Search for information to travel to the Potential Destination

CONFIGURATION OF THE TRIP TO POTENTIAL DESTINATION (PD)

Search for information on destination

Travel agenciesTourism offices

Books/ guides Internet

Friends and family Others

Search for information on destination

Travel agenciesTourism offices

Books/ guides Internet

Friends and family Others

Examples: Estimated price of the trip

CONFIGURATION OF THE TRIP TO POTENTIAL DESTINATION (PD)

Estimated price of trip

Weekend Long stay

Mean Mean

Standard deviationStandar deviation

Estimated price of trip

Weekend Long stay

Mean Mean

Standard deviationStandar deviation

Estimated price of trip

Weekend Long stay

Mean Mean

Standard deviationStandar deviation

Examples: Perceptions of the Potential Destination

PERCEPTIONS ON THE POTENTIAL DESTINATION (PD)

Concepts / ideas on the Potential Destination

Nearby regions visited

Weaknesses of the Destiny opposed to other regions

Strengths of the Destiny opposed to other regions.

CONCLUSIONS (I)There is an increasing demand on more specific and detailed studies, with a special interest in

those guided to deseasonalize tourist activity.

Potential Demand Analyses are valid instruments to: provide the necessary and required information in the decision making of different social

agents, both at the level of tourism administration and the managerial sector. They contribute information about the potentiality of tourism growth of a destination for each

concrete source market, The obtained results allow to structure useful and valuable information for the programming

of institutional or managerial tourism promotion campaigns, The image of that destination regarding the potential market, allows the structure of more

direct and more specific communication policies, highlighting the excellent aspects of the destination.

CONCLUSIONS (II)

From the managerial environment, this type of market research is an interesting source of information for the

configuration of marketing policies They permit an estimation of the optimum duration of the trip to the Potential

Destination for the residents of the source market, and in accordance with their preferences, tourism programs with the alternatives and products expected by the visitors are considered, evaluating the profitability of these packages or tourism services.

Also, the main attractiveness of the Potential Destination is identified as opposed to other regions and those products or services which are still not well known or valued enough.

System of Tourism Information in System of Tourism Information in AsturiasAsturias

Post Address:E. U. “Jovellanos” de GijónC/ Francisco Tomás y Valiente, 1E-33201 Gijón, AsturiasSpainTelephone et Fax (+34) 985 18 21 75Mail To: sita@correo.uniovi.es

www.sita.org