The relation between push motivation and activity consumption at the destination within the framework of a destination card

This research analyses the influence of tourist’ psychological motivation visiting a destination on their actual travel behaviour and the use of this information for bundling tourism attractions and services in a destination card. The relation between push motivation and activity consumption at the destination is recognized in the literature. The paper extends this evidence by introducing activeness indicators measured according to the amount and type of activity participation normalized to the length of stay. Regarding destination cards the paper investigates, through the use of ordered logistic regressions, four requirements (monetary, timesaving, informational and customization), defined as the benefits of a card tourists may find important. The model results show a significant relation between card requirements and both activeness and motivation, suggesting that destination cards need to be based on natural and cultural attractions, whereas entertainment, sport and social activities can be only additional benefits on discounted price. The data has been collected in the Ticino region, Switzerland. The sample refers to 586 face to face interviews with tourists visiting the area.

► Examines the relation among motivation, activeness and destination card requirements.
► Introduces activeness indicators to quantify the engagement in type of activities.
► Empirically proves that cards should be based on culture-nature activities.
► Results suggest that the information on novelty in a destination card is valued most.