The role of psychographic factors in nature-based tourist expenditure.

Numerous studies have examined the relationship between tourist expenditure and observable characteristics of the individual and the trip. We add latent variables based on psychographic factors into a model of expenditure by nature-based tourists. This study models the log of per person trip expenditure by domestic and international visitors in a Norwegian alpine national park region as a function of psychographic factors as well as traditional measures of trip and demographic characteristics. In the regression models, factor scores were utilized from nature orientation, recreation experience preference (REP), a new ecological paradigm (NEP) and wilderness preference (WPS) scales. Higher scores on a NEP environmentalism factor were associated with higher expenditure, while higher scores on a REP risk seeking factor were associated with lower expenditure. Higher scores on a risk seeking, or challenge factor, from the nature orientation scale was associated with lower expenditure, while higher scores on an ...