Modeling Variation in Destination Patronage for Outdoor Recreation Activity

Abstract

Recreation researchers long have recognized that existing destination choice models embody a number of assumptions that are often violated. One important aspect over which researchers have recently voiced concern is the inability of these models to account for intrapersonal variation in the place of recreation activity. The present study investigated the extent to which households allocate recreation activity among recreation facilities and identified those characteristics of the household and the recreation facility that may affect the decision concerning where to recreate. The results indicate that most households repeatedly use a single facility and that there are significant behavioral differences between those who visit a single facility and those who go to a variety of places.