Segmenting visitors of cultural events: The case of Christmas Market

• Bagged Clustering method is an alternative and effective method to clustering.
• Bagged Clustering is suitable for different type of segmentation variables.
• Ad-hoc survey was conducted among visitors of a cultural event.
• Motivation (Likert) and travel spending (dummy) were used as segmentation variables.
• Visitors are clustered according to motivations and travel spending separately.

Market segmentation in tourism makes use of sets of powerful analytical tools for the sake of planning and managing demand-oriented policies. This paper contributes to this strand of literature by segmenting tourists visiting a cultural event. We utilize the Bagged Clustering method, a combination of traditional partitioning and hierarchical techniques, which is proven to be more effective. An ad hoc survey was conducted in 2011 among the Italian visitors of the Christmas Market in Merano, Northern Italy. A total of 802 questionnaires were collected. In discussing the results, marketing and managerial implications are stressed for both policymakers and local organizers.