Comparison of characteristics of Asian and non-Asian tourists visiting eco-lodges in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Abstract:As the demand for ecotourism and nature-based tourism increases, eco-lodges are becoming a popular alternative accommodation choice. Consequently, the development of an ecolodge industry has wider implications for countries such as Sri Lanka, especially when considering the country's high potential for ecotourism and the need to provide alternative forms of accommodation for increasing tourist arrivals. In the Sri Lankan context, the eco-lodge industry still remains relatively undeveloped and the understanding of characteristics of visitors who seek accommodation in ecolodges is limited. In this study, the author distinguished Asian and non-Asian ecotourist market segments visiting ecolodges in Sri Lanka, to enable ecotourism operators and policy makers to better tailor their products to target groups. A survey of 362 ecolodge occupants in 16 selected ecolodges found that the Asian and non-Asian visitor segments differ in terms of travel motivations, their perceptions on various ecolodge attributes, trip characteristics and demographics. However, both age and level of education were found to be strongly related in other studies. The study found that non-Asian ecotourists stay for longer periods by comparison with Asian ecotourists. Seeking novel experiences appeared to be the main motivation of Asian ecolodge occupants, and they typically demanded physically challenging activities. Non-Asians' motivation was friendliness of the people of the host country, followed by visiting nature and learning local customs. The management implications of distinguishing the Asian and non-Asian market segments are discussed.

Exploring motivations and satisfaction of ecolodge patrons in desert areas of Iran

“…Each attribute consisted of two or more items; the examples for attraction motives were “visit historical house, castles and caravansaries,” “see mountain dunes and sand pans,” and “visit hot springs.” “Festivals and events,” “learn new traditions and lifestyle,” “interact with other tourists” were some of the items in “social and cultural motives” category. Also, items in “other motives” category included “relax spiritually and physically,” “participate in new activities,” “shopping” and “have an enjoyable time.” The attributes were chosen based on previous studies and were classified into three groups: (1) attraction motives (Aligholizadeh et al , 2015; Sumanapala et al , 2017), (2) social and cultural motives (Kwan et al , 2010; Sumanapala et al , 2017) and (3) other motives (Kwan et al , 2010). The respondents were asked to rate the significance of the attributes.…”

“…The ecolodge business appeared in the 1980s and expanded worldwide over the next decades when the negative effects of mass tourism became apparent. Although there is not any unanimous definition for ecolodges, many researchers have accepted the concepts provided by Russell et al (1995), who described ecolodge as an accommodation that relies on the environment and in line with philosophy and principles of ecotourism (Sumanapala et al , 2017; Kwan et al , 2008). Ecolodges are the integral parts of ecotourism and enrich the ecotourists' experience by additional services such as activities, programs, interpretation and sense of place (Chan, 2010).…”

A Review: National Parks in Sri Lanka and Impending Development and Research

“…Visitor satisfaction influences visitor demand and word-of-mouth recommendations leading to revisits and increasing tourist numbers (Sumanapala et al 2015;Perera and Vlosky 2013). Most studies show that wildlife-watching visitors or nature-based visitors are highly educated (Sumanapala et al 2017;Perera, Senevirathna and Vlosky 2015;Newsome 2014). Infrastructure and service related to parks and activities influence visitors' demands and park incomes.…”

Effects of Recreational Camping on the Environmental Values of National Parks in Sri Lanka

“…With the rising demand for natural area tourism in Sri Lanka, the demand for alternative accommodation choices has also increased ( Sumanapala et al . 2015 , 2017 ; Simpson et al . 2020 ).…”