A Conjoint Approach in Estimating the Importance of Urban Forests Versus Other Major Tourism Attractions in Urban Tourism Destinations: Insights from Washington, DC

Abstract

The study used a conjoint approach to assess the relative importance of urban forests compared to the major attractions of Washington, DC, a top city destination in the US. Survey data collected through self-administered questionnaires were analyzed using conjoint analysis. Results showed that the attributes of the city that people regarded as important to tourism include timing of visit, physical attractions, events, and urban forests. Respondents expressed that timing of visit is the most important attribute with a relative importance value of 39.55%, followed by events, physical attractions, and urban forests. Despite the fact that Washington, DC is currently being marketed as a business and cultural destination, respondents showed a significant level of awareness that the city's urban forests are integral to its tourism appeal. Gardens were observed to be the preferred form of urban forests. The study also highlighted the need to refocus marketing of Washington, DC's tourism products to emphasize other attractions. These resources can be tapped to expand the city's tourism market and improve its tourism products. Furthermore, the study supports that Washington, DC's urban forests add to its appeal and that tourism managers should consider new strategies to incorporate this resource into the mainstream attractions.