Backpackers' Order and Visit Length in an Urban World Heritage Destination: an Analysis Using Ordered Logit and Linear Models

Abstract

Described as a group of independent travelers with flexible itineraries and without substantial time constraints, backpackers constitute one of the tourist segments that has drawn the attention of many researchers around the world. However, little is known about how this segment of travelers behaves in destinations from a space–time perspective. The purpose of this study is to examine the relevance of the order and visit length on backpackers' space–time behavior in an urban world heritage destination. Using geographic information system (GIS) software, the sequence and the length of the visit were identified. To analyze the order of the places visited, we used the ordered logit method and to study the duration dimension a multivariate equation, estimated by OLS with heteroskedasticity robust errors, was selected. The results showed that no variable in particular influences the order of the places visited in any of the parishes simultaneously, reinforcing the underlying randomness in relation to the order in which destination parishes are visited. Length of stay is mostly influenced by factors related to mobility conditions as well as factors exogenous to tourists' decision-making capacity.