Consumer Preference and Willingness to Pay for the Tourism Packages: A Conjoint Study of a Rural Destination

Abstract

Many small cities and towns seek to promote their destinations to leisure travelers via their website. Leisure travelers consist of singles, couples, families, and friends travelling together. While not part of the more lucrative group market, leisure travelers are nonetheless important to the economy of a destination. For instance, families that travel are looking for the types of restaurants, hotels, and activities that are family-friendly. Couples may be looking for a romantic getaway including a charming hotel and a pleasant restaurant. Some destinations will attempt to cater to these travelers by providing packages on their website that cater to families and couples. Thus, it is important to determine what types of packages families (and couples) want for their trip, the perceived value of the packages, and how much they would be willing to pay for these packages. This study uses a choice-based conjoint study to determine willingness to pay (WTP) for various package choices geared towards families in a rural destination.