The Distribution of Rural Accommodation in Extremadura, Spain-between the Randomness and the Suitability Achieved by Means of Regression Models (OLS vs. GWR)

Abstract

There are multiple types of regression, the essential task of which is the obtaining of models which, starting from a set of regressive values, are capable of finding explanations for the variability of a dependent. However, in many cases, the territorial criterion is not considered to be a noteworthy factor of analysis, owing to which this deficiency has encouraged the arising of spatial statistics. Nevertheless, given the variety of regressions, it is not clear which can best be adapted to the analysis of tourism. In this sector, when the supply of accommodation is analysed, it is understood that it must be strongly related to the presence of resources, owing to which it has been taken as an example of an application between two differentiated regression techniques: ordinary least squares (OLS) and geographically weighted regression (GWR), with the objective of determining which of the two is best adapted to this type of analysis. The model has been drawn up based on various methods, although it has been shown that it is more efficient to resort to the declared preferences of the rural tourist, with the starting point being a survey made of the tourists. These aspects have been taken as independent variables with the aim of explaining the distribution of accommodation establishments. The results obtained show that the configuration of the spatial relations between the variable included in the model encourages the explanation of the latter, owing to which GWR is much more suitable than OLS, even when a system as complex as the distribution of accommodation establishments is analysed. Likewise, it is noteworthy that the distribution of accommodation does not also follow the guidelines marked by demand; far from it, it appears that in some areas, it is of a random nature.