A Comparison of Main-Destination Visitors and Through Travelers at a Dual-Purpose Destination

Dual-purpose destinations serve both tourists choosing an area as their main destination and those using it as a stopover or secondary destination. While the dual role of most destinations is widely recognized, the importance of the through-traveler segment is often unappreciated, unrecognized, or misunderstood. Indeed, to date, little work has been conducted examining main-destination and through travelers. This article reports on a study conducted in Albury, New South Wales, Australia, the largest city located between Melbourne and Sydney. It discovered that main-destination and through travelers were so significantly different that they could be considered discrete markets. Indeed, the study suggests that some dual-purpose destinations ought to consider a multiple positioning strategy to appeal to these different segments. Main-destination and through travelers come from different geographic areas, have different demographic profiles, and exhibit different behavior at the destination.