The length of stay in tourism

Economic theory generally treats the duration of a vacation as a constraint on demand imposed by available time. In contrast, in this paper, it is shown that the length of stay is a determinant of destination demand rather than a demand characteristic. The length of stay is largely explained by the socio-demographic profile of the tourist, and moderated by the perceived characteristics of the destination. The length of stay is also found to have sample selection. Moreover, previous research that does not take sample selection into account is inadequate. Policy implications of the research findings, particularly those to increase the length of stay, are discussed.