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Agritourism : market segmentation profile of potential and practising agritourists

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2003. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Rural tourism and agritourism are in their infant stages in South Africa. It benefits the farmer,
the local community, the rural area, the tourist and the country. It is therefore a viable option
but requires more research, management, planning and control for it to be successful.
Many agritourism ventures are not as successful as they should be. The problem is that
farmers/landowners do not research the demand for tourist products before they deliver them
and do not know whom they are catering for. To stay competitive, the tourists' characteristics
ought to be understood. This would provide insight into what facilities and services to supply,
what resources to utilise and how to promote the agritourism destination.
The aim of this study was to segment the potential and practising agritourists into different
clusters, according to their preferences, and to investigate the clusters' characteristics and
behaviours.
The objectives were to:
1. Investigate the potential and practising agritourists' socio-economic, demographic and
travel characteristics.
2. Rate all the attractions, activities and services according to their popularity.
3. Clarify the preferences of these tourists, concerning attractions and activities, by
combining similar ones.
4. Divide the tourists into clusters of similar preferences.
5. Compare the socio-economic, demographic and travel characteristics of the different
clusters of tourists.
6. Produce a set of guidelines for entrepreneurs/farmers/landowners, as to what tourist
products they should supply or develop, and for whom, and how they should market
them.
This study entailed distributing questionnaires to potential and practising agritourists at
shopping centres and farms involved in agritouri'swimming', 'picnicking', 'scenic drives', 'dams/lakes/pans' and 'small game' were the most
popular agritourism attractions and activities. Factor analysis was used to reduce the number of
variables by combining like variables (attractions) and cluster analysis was utilised to segment
the respondents into five clusters of tourists with similar preferences for agritourism attractions
and activities. Cross tabulation, frequencies and descriptive statistics were used to describe
these different clusters. These groups of tourists were described according to their
demographic, socio-economic and travel characteristics.
Segmenting tourism markets and compiling profiles of the tourists within each sub-market has
proved to be advantageous. Once the demands of the tourists are known, the appropriate
facilities and number of facilities can be developed. Knowing who the tourists are and where to
target them, will lead to better marketing, planning and promotion of the destination. Customer
satisfaction will be increased, as it is known exactly who must be catered for, thereby resulting
in repeat visits.
The five clusters of tourists were: 'general nature tourists'; 'urban tourists'; 'hard outdoor
adventure tourists'; 'visual or soft outdoor adventure tourists'; and 'agritourists'. All these
tourists, except 'urban tourists', are excellent potential agritourists. The results of this study
were used to compile guidelines for entrepreneurs. These guidelines could help them in
deciding who to target (which clusters), what agritourism products to develop (attractions,
activities and services) and how to market them (means of advertising). Appropriate
accommodation types and the availability of equipment and facilities for activities also act as
attractions.
This study demonstrates an inexpensive method of gathering information about tourists, thereby
improving marketing and planning approaches. It illustrates how the potential and practising
agritourists can be divided into sub-markets. The agritourism market is a heterogeneous market
and must therefore be segmented. Any entrepreneur can use the results of this market
segmentation. Any future studies, similar to this one, could consist of a sample much larger.
As this study was primarily based in the Western Cape, similar research should be executed in
other distinct regions. It would be illuminating to see how the groups of agritourists vary
according to geographical areas. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Landelike en agritoerisme is in hulontluikende fase in Suid-Afrika. Dit bevoordeel die boer,
die plaaslike gemeenskap, die landelike streek, die toeris en die land. Dit is 'n lewensvatbare
opsie maar benodig meer navorsing, bestuur, beplanning en beheer om suksesvol te wees.
Baie agritoerisme ondernemings is nie so geslaagd as wat dit kan wees nie. Die probleem is dat
die boere/grondeienaars nie die nodige navorsing doen omtrent die aanvraag na 'n produk
voordat hul dit aanbied nie, en weet ook nie watter toerismesegment hul wil bevredig nie. Om
mededingend te bly moet die toeris se eienskappe verstaan word. Dit sal insae gee in watter
fasiliteite en dienste om te voorsien, asook watter bronne om te benut om die agritoerismedestinasie
te promoveer.
Die doel van hierdie studie was om potensiële en praktiserende agritoeriste te groepeer in
verskillende segmente volgens hulle voorkeure en groeps gedrag.
Die doelwitte was om:
1. Potensiële en praktiserende agritoeriste se sosio-ekonomiese, demografiese en
reiseienskappe te ondersoek.
2. Die rangorde van attraksies, aktiwiteite en dienste volgens gewildheid te bepaal.
3. Voorkeure van toeriste aangaande attraksies en aktiwiteite te bepaal deur gelyksoortige
groeperings te kombineer.
4. Toeriste in trosgroepe met gelyksoortige voorkeure te verdeel.
5. Die sosio-ekonomiese, demografiese en reiseienskappe van verskillende
toeristetrosgroepe te vergelyk.
6. Riglyne vir ondernemers/boere/grondeienaars te formuleer vir watter toeristeprodukte
hul behoort te verskaf of ontwikkel en aan wie en hoe hul dit behoort te bemark.
Hierdie studie het die verspreiding van vraelyste aan potensiële en praktiserende agritoeriste in
winkelsentrums en plase, betrokke by agritoerisme, behels. Die vraelyste het informasie oor
potensiële en praktiserende agritoeriste verskaf Een-honderd en agt vraelyste was voltooi. Die
respondente het aangedui dat 'berge', 'watervalle', 'riviere', 'grootwild', 'swem', 'pieknieks',
'natuurskoonplesierritte' , 'damme/mere/panne' en 'kleinwild' die gewildste agritoerisme attraksies en aktiwiteite is. Faktoranalise is gebruik om die getal verandelikes te verminder deur
soortgelyke verandelikes (attraksies) te kombineer en trosanalise te gebruik om die respondente
te segmenteer in vyf trosgroepe toeriste met gelyksoortige voorkeure vir agritoerisme attraksies
en aktiwiteite. Kruistabulering, frekwensies en beskrywende statistiek was gebruik om hierdie
verskillende trosse te beskryf volgens hul demografiese, sosio-ekonomiese en reiseienskappe.
Segmentering van die toerismemark en die saamstel van profiele van die toeriste binne elke
sub-mark is voordelig bevind. As die vereistes van die toeriste bekend is, kan die gepaste
fasiliteite en aantal fasiliteite ontwikkel word. Om te weet wie die toeriste is en waar om hulle
te teiken sal tot beter bemarking, beplanning en promosie van die destinasie lei.
Kliëntbevrediging sal toeneem, omdat ondernemers presies weet wie om te bevredig en dit sal
herhaalde besoeke tot gevolg hê.
Die vyf trosgroepe toeriste was: 'algemene natuurtoeriste'; 'stedelike toeriste'; 'ekstreme
buitelug avontuurtoeriste' ; 'visuele of nie-ekstreme buitelug avontuurtoeriste' ; en 'agritoeriste'.
Al die toeriste behalwe stedelike toeriste is uitstekende potensiële agritoeriste. Die resultate van
hierdie studie is gebruik om riglyne vir ondernemers te kompileer. Hierdie riglyne kan hul help
om te besluit wie om te teiken (watter trosse), watter agritoerisme produkte om te ontwikkel
(attraksies, aktiwiteite en dienste) en hoe om dit te bemark (wyse van advertensie). Toepaslike
akkommodasie en die beskikbaarheid van toerusting en fasiliteite vir aktiwiteite dien ook as
attraksies.
Hierdie studie demonstreer 'n ekonomiese manier om informasie omtrent toeriste in te win, om
bemarking en beplanning te verbeter. Dit illustreer hoe die potensiële en praktiserende
agritoeris ook in sub-markte ingedeel kan word. Die agritoerisme mark is 'n heterogenemark en
moet dus gesegmenteer word. Enige ontwikkelaar kan die resultate van hierdie
marksegmentasie gebruik. Soortgelyke navorsing behoort in die toekoms op 'n groter
steekproef gedoen word. Omdat hierdie studie hoofsaaklik in die Wes-Kaap gebaseer was,
behoort soortgelyke navorsing in ander bepaalde streke uitgevoer te word. Dit sal insiggewend
wees om te sien hoe die groepe agritoeriste volgens geografiese streke varieer.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/53245
Date04 1900
CreatorsSpeirs, Lindsay Justine
ContributorsVan der Merwe, J. H., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Geography and Environmental Studies.
PublisherStellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Source SetsSouth African National ETD Portal
Languageen_ZA
Detected LanguageUnknown
TypeThesis
Format110 p.
RightsStellenbosch University

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