Profiling segments of tourists in rural areas of South-Eastern Spain

Rural tourism is a very recent but rapidly growing activity in some regions of South-East Spain, an area traditionally associated with seaside tourism. The aim of this paper is to obtain a better understanding of the demand for this kind of tourism through a market segmentation analysis. Five segments of tourists who sought different benefits in their holiday in rural establishments have been identified. Four of these placed importance on nature, environment and peacefulness, although only two were attracted by activities (“outdoor and cultural” for one group and “typical of rural life” for the other). The remaining segment, the smallest, comprised individuals whose only motivation was spending time with friends. A multinomial logit model is employed to profile these segments according to socioeconomic and travel-related features, although any of these characteristics may clearly distinguish the last segment mentioned from the others.