Published: August 2018 | Category: Environmental impacts of land transport , Research programme , Research & reports | Audience: General
The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of the expectations, motivations, experiences, information preferences and behaviour of visitors (both domestic and international) travelling on New Zealand’s transport network.
Such knowledge enables a multi-agency approach combining tourism, heritage and transport to identify ways to monitor and improve visitor travel experiences, grow tourism and consequently promote regional economic gain.
To do this, a pilot visitor travel survey was trialled, including an information-based intervention.
The purpose of this was to capture unique visitor travel behaviour information, and to test a method to deliver during-trip information in a fun, interactive format, using motivation theory and gamification methods to promote different visitor experiences in an intervention group (compared with a control group).
While the pilot intervention did not reveal significant differences in behaviour, unique visitor information was gained, including a new visitor journey evaluation framework, and evidence of the desire for ‘discovery’ and during trip information to support discovery.
Finally, new insights into journey experiences were found that supported some existing investment initiatives, but would also inform targeted investment to promote a higher level of service of infrastructure and information for visitors.
Keywords: Tourism, travel route, visitor satisfaction
