A Comparison of Long-Haul and Short-Haul Business Tourists of Hong Kong

Grace Ho, Robert Douglas McKercher

Research output: Journal article publicationJournal articleAcademic researchpeer-review

52 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

A number of studies have demonstrated the impact of distance on the volume, profile and behavior of pleasure tourists. To date, none has examined the effect of distance on business tourists, even though they represent a significant share of all travel. Distance exerts two inter-related effects on travel. The decaying effect on demand with increased distance is well established. Distance also acts as a "filter", advantaging some groups for short-haul travel and effectively excluding others from long-haul travel. This filtering effect results in substantially different observed behavior between short and long-haul pleasure markets. This study examines the filtering effect of distance on tourist profile and subsequent behavior of business travelers who visited Hong Kong. The sample includes eight short-haul and six long-haul markets. Substantial differences are observed in the profile and resultant behaviors of the two cohorts, although the differences are more subtle among business tourists than pleasure tourists.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)342-355
Number of pages14
JournalAsia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research
Volume19
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Mar 2014

Keywords

  • business tourism
  • distance
  • long haul
  • short haul

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Geography, Planning and Development
  • Tourism, Leisure and Hospitality Management

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