Determinants of length of stay: A practical use of survival analysis

The principal purpose of this study was to analyze the determinants of tourists’ length of stay at a destination. Data were collected through a questionnaire survey conducted in the summer of 2005. Exceptionally different from other similar studies, this study employed survival analysis to analyze the data. The findings indicate that, out of 39 variables, 16 significantly associated with tourists’ decisions about the length of their stays during a summer vacation. More specifically, nationality, education, income, experience, familiarity and daily spending are among those as the major determinants of the length to stay. An increase or decrease in such variables is accompanied by a significant increase or decrease in the length of stay. Implications for both the theory and the practice are discussed.