Characterizing Tourist Sensitivity to Distance

Literature suggests that the effect of distance on destination choice can be positive or negative, contingent on individual characteristics. The aim of this study was to objectively measure, identify, and characterize tourist sensitivities to distance—individual by individual—in a real context where real choices made by tourists are observed. The empirical application is carried out on a sample of 2,127 individuals, and the operative formalization used to estimate the individual sensitivities to distance follows a random-coefficient logit model; to detect the determinant factors, a regression analysis is used. After obtaining the sensitivity to distance of each sampled individual, the dimensions that appear to have an effect on it are income, number of children, size of the city of residence, use of intermediaries, transport mode, interest in discovering new places, variety-seeking behavior, and motivations.