Exploring Tourists’ Preferences for Bike-Sharing Services in the Context of Tourism

Abstract

This study explores tourists’ preferences for bike-sharing services in the context of tourism. Based on a sample of 800 individuals who visited Da Nang, Vietnam between July and August 2023, a latent class behavior model was developed to investigate preferences for bike-sharing services from tourists’ point of view. The results show that tourists prefer a bike-sharing service that ensures round-the-clock availability, is accessible within a 5-min walk from both the origin and destination, features bikes stationed at specific designated locations, and provides a variety of payment options at an affordable rate of USD 1.00 per h. Under these attributes, about 41.63% of tourists are likely to choose a bike-sharing option for their travel tours. These findings offer valuable insights for traffic management authorities and policymakers, demonstrating that bike-sharing services can be hailed as an effective complement to existing transportation modes and can help bridge the gap between supply and demand in tourist cities.