Research on Difference of First-time and Repeat Visitors’ Behavior

EASTERN ACADEMIC FORUM
Research on Difference of First-time and Repeat Visitors’ Behavior
YE Li
School of Business Management, Guangxi University of Finance and Economics, China, 530003
[email protected]
Abstract: Research on difference of first-time and repeat visitors’ behavior is meaningful for the
construction of tourism destination. Based on the data from the questionnaire in Daxin county of
Guangxi, the paper makes a careful comparative analysis of the two types of visitors, then draws
conclusion: first-time and repeat visitors’ behavior is similar mainly but little different at pre-trip; it is
also similar mainly at transportation means and consumption but great different at tourism manner and
stay time at mid-trip; at post-time, the satisfaction and loyalty of repeat visitors are higher than first-time
visitors.
Keywords: First-time visitors, Repeat visitors, Visitor’s behavior, Difference
1 Introduction
Under the background of tourism industry transforming gradually from sightseeing to leisure holiday
and tourist’s activities being diversification, making comparative analysis of first-time and repeat
visitors’ behavior causes more and more attention, which is meaningful for the development and
marketing of tourism destination. Researches have focused on empirical study and drew significant
conclusions. First-time visitors were younger and preferred to seek more new tourism sites to gain
abundant experience, whose purposes of visiting friends and relatives and satisfaction were lower
(Gitelson and Crompton, 1984) [1], and staying time at destination was shorter (Lau and McKercher,
2004) [2]. Repeat visitors were inclined to revisit short distance destinations (Moutinho and Trimble,
1991) [3], whose willingness of revisit was higher (Kozak, 2001) [4]. First-time visitors tended to travel
more widely throughout the destination while repeat visitors tended to confine their actions to a smaller
number of locations; first-time visitors also tended to make one long, extended day trip from the hotel,
while repeat visitors tended to make a number of shorter forays, returning to the hotel intermittently
during the day (Bob, Noam, Erica and Amit, 2012) [5]. First-time visitors' intentions to patronize the
destination were mainly affected by destination image but repeat visitors were primarily affected by
destination attachment (Morais, Chung-Hsien, 2012) [6]. Yusof, Rahman and Daud (2012) thought that
first-time and repeat visitors had no remarkable difference at perceiving the value of tourism service,
moreover, repeat visitors did not get more satisfaction by the pre-tourism experience [7]. Jin-Soo,
Choong-Ki and Yooshik’s study (2009) showed that repeat visitors’ loyalty was higher than first-time
visitors [8].
The field was also got attention by Chinese scholars. First-time visitors were inclined to travel by bus
and airplane, but repeat visitors preferred to self-driving and taxi, both of them were same mainly at
total satisfaction (Wang bin, Wu Chunyou, Li Zhendong, 2009) [9]. The empirical study of Chen Haibin
and Mo Liping (2012) summarized that the percentage of repeat visitors’ purpose of vacation and
visiting friends and relatives was higher than first-time visitors, just like their satisfaction and
willingness of revisit were higher too; the two types of visitors had no difference at the willingness of
recommendation [10].
As stated above, the empirical studies have already identified some difference between first-time and
repeat visitors. However, further research is still needed to corroborate these findings. So taking Daxin
county of Guangxi, China, a famous tourism destination knew by Detian Cross-border Waterfall for
example, the paper will analyze the difference of first-time and repeat visitors’ behavior to enrich
tourism market theory.
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2 Research Method and Samples Background
Using a self-designed questionnaire, 200 visitors are investigated at some main scenic spots in Daxin
county in May Day 2012. 197 questionnaires are returned. Ignoring invalid questionnaires with
incomplete or self-contradictory data, finally 170 are effective. The returning rate is 98.5% and the
effective rate is 86.3%. The paper uses Excel software to input information of the effective
questionnaires and form database, then applies SPSS15.0 software to analyze.
The samples’ demographic characteristics are described by using frequency analysis. Visitors’ behavior
is divided into three stages: pre-trip, mid-trip and post-trip. Pre-trip behavior includes tourism activity
preference, tourism purpose and information channel selection. Mid-trip behavior is covered with
tourism manner, transportation means, stay time and tourism consumption. Post-trip behavior means
evaluation of satisfaction and loyalty. The difference of pre-trip and mid-trip behavior is analyzed by
cross analysis, and the difference of post-trip behavior is described by independent-samples t test.
Classification of first-time and repeat visitors is based on their tourism experience. The questionnaire
has one question with “From now, how many times have you made tourism activities in Daxin county?”
Respondents who answer with “one” are considered as first-time visitors, with “more than one” are
viewed as repeat visitors. Then the number of first-time visitors is 123 and that of repeat visitors is 47 at
this investigation.
Demographic characteristics is as follow. Percentage of male visitors is slightly higher than female
visitors. Young and middle-age are main mass. Family average monthly income ranges mainly from
1000 yuan to 4000 yuan, which has higher tendency. Education level of high school or above has high
percentage. Single and Couples with one child are the main household structure. Occupational structure
has the feature of diversification. Percentages of tourist origin from the internal and external Guangxi
are quite equivalent, which shows that the tourist market of Daxin county is enormous.
3 Difference at Visitors’ Behavior
3.1 Difference at pre-trip behavior
Both first-time and repeat visitors prefer to natural landscape in the most, next come leisure and
vacation item, rural idyllic landscape and human landscape. There is difference that repeat visitors are
more likely to urban shopping and entertainment item, while first-time visitors are apt to ecology and
health preservation item and outdoors exploration item.
Sightseeing is the main purpose of the two types of visitors, next comes folk-custom experience. There
is great difference that percentage of repeat visitors’ purpose of visiting friends and relatives and special
product shopping is higher than first-time visitors.
First-time and repeat visitors are quite similar at information channel selection. The main information
channel is internet at present era, then come travel agency advertisement and recommendation by
friends and relatives, but percentage of first-time visitors choosing is higher than repeat visitors. On the
aspects of the channels of TV and book, first-time visitors are more likely to use TV to get tourism
information, while repeat visitors are apt to obtain information from book.
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Table 1 Difference at pre-trip behavior (unit:%)
Item
Tourism activity preference
Tourism purpose
Information channel selection
Index
Natural landscape
Human landscape
Rural idyllic landscape
Urban shopping and entertainment
Leisure and vacation item
Ecology and health preservation item
Outdoors exploration item
Sightseeing
Farmhouse enjoyment
Folk-custom experience
Partaking festival celebration activities
Visiting friends and relatives
Special product shopping
Health care
Culture, sport and sci-tech exchange
Meeting
Others
Television
Advertisement of newspaper and magazine
Broadcast
Book
Travel agency advertisement
Recommendation by friends and relatives
Internet
Others
First-time visitor
Repeat visitors
50.9
9.4
11.1
1.8
14.6
2.9
9.3
52.1
8.4
20.4
1.2
3.6
3.6
2.4
1.2
3.6
3.5
9.9
7.3
1.3
5.3
18.5
18.5
29.8
9.4
56.2
9.6
9.6
2.7
15.1
0.0
6.8
45.2
6.8
19.2
1.4
9.6
9.6
2.7
2.7
1.4
1.4
4.3
7.2
2.9
10.1
15.9
15.9
30.4
13.0
3.2 Difference at mid-trip behavior
First-time and repeat visitors are different at tourism manner. First-time visitors tour mainly by travel
agency organizing and with family, then with friends and relatives and tour solely. While repeat visitors
don’t relay on travel agency organization like first-time visitors, who show stronger interest in touring
with family and with friends and relatives.
Both first-time and repeat visitors choose long-distance bus and self-driving as chief transportation
means, yet there is a little difference. Percentage of first-time visitors choosing long-distance bus is
higher 10% than repeat visitors, but percentage of self-driving is lower. In addition, plane and train are
also the relatively important transportation means. Among them, first-time visitors prefer to plane, while
repeat visitors are apt to train.
First-time and repeat visitors have some difference at stay time. Percentage of first-time visitors staying
within one day is much higher than repeat visitors, while percentage of repeat visitors staying more than
one day is significantly greater than first-time visitors. In general, repeat visitors show a trend of staying
at Daxin county more longer time compared with first-time visitors.
With people’s consumption ability improving and leisure awareness popularizing, people spend more on
tourism consumption. Both first-time and repeat visitors consume mainly more than 500 yuan,
especially more than 1000 yuan. In the all, repeat visitors’ total consumption ability is higher than
first-time visitors.
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Item
Transportation means
Stay time
Table 2 Difference at mid-trip behavior （unit:%）
First-time
Repeat
Index
Item
Index
visitors
visitors
Long-distance
Travel agency
51.2
38.3
bus
organize
Plane
10.6
6.4
Tour solely
Tour with
Train
7.3
14.9
family
Tourism
Tour with
Self-driving
26.0
31.9
manner
friends and
relatives
Organized by
Company’s bus
0.8
4.3
company
Bus
0.0
4.2
Other
Others
4.1
0.0
Less than 100
Half day
5.7
2.1
yuan
One day
37.4
25.5
100-299 yuan
Tourism
Two days
35.8
38.4
300-499 yuan
consumption
Three-four days
16.3
23.4
500-999 yuan
More than five
More than
4.8
10.6
days
1000 yuan
First-time
visitors
Repeat
visitors
26.8
12.8
16.3
14.9
26.0
34.0
18.7
31.9
3.3
6.4
8.9
0.0
2.4
0.0
8.9
15.4
35.0
2.1
17.0
38.3
38.2
42.6
3.3 Difference at post-trip behavior
Difference at post-trip behavior is analyzed by tourism satisfaction and loyalty. Using five-point variable
method of Likert, tourism satisfaction is evaluated by the factors like total environment, tourist areas
and spots, traffic road, transportation means, lodging, eating, shopping and entertainment, that “not
satisfied at all”, “not satisfied”, “neutral”, “satisfied” and “very satisfied” are presented by “1”, “2”, “3”,
“4” and “5”. Tourism loyalty is measured by the willingness of revisit and recommendation, where the
willingness of revist is with the question “Will you travel to Daxin county again?” and the willingness of
recommendation with the question “Will you recommend Daxin county to others?” Both of the two
questions require the respondents to answer “yes” or “no”, that “yes” valuated with “1” and “no” with
“2”.
Null hypothesis is proposed: first-time and repeat visitors’ satisfaction of the ten factors above has no
significant difference. Uses SPSS15.0 software to calculate the observed values of T-statistic and the
corresponding values of probability P. Under the significance level α=0.05, the results of difference are
obtained by comparing the values of probability P and α.
The result is shown by Table 3. Values of probability P of the factors of eating and entertaining are less
than α, which show that first-time and repeat visitors have significant difference at the two factors’
satisfaction and repeat visitors are more satisfied than first-time visitors. Values of probability P of the
factors of total environment, tourist areas and spots, traffic road, transportation means, lodging,
shopping, willingness of revist and willingness of recommendation are more than α, which show that
first-time and repeat visitors have no significant difference at these factors. With the items’ mean,
first-time and repeat visitors’ tourism satisfaction is a little higher than the mean level, and repeat
visitors’ scores are higher than first-time visitors at tourist area and spot, lodging, eating, shopping and
entertainment, which show that repeat visitors’ satisfaction is higher than first-time visitors. First-time
visitors have high satisfaction at total environment, tourist areas and spots, but low satisfaction at traffic
road, shopping and entertaining. While repeat visitors have high evaluation at tourist areas and spots,
lodging, but low evaluation at traffic road. On the aspect of loyalty, repeat visitors’ willingness of revisit
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is a little higher than first-time visitors, both two types of visitors like to recommend Daxin county.
Item
Satisfaction
Loyalty
Table 3 Difference at post-trip behavior
Mean
Index
First-time
Repeat visitor
visitor
Total environment
4.07
3.98
Tourist areas and spots
4.04
4.15
Values of
T-statistic
Values of
probability P
0.790
-0.934
0.431
0.352
Traffic road
3.53
3.30
1.225
0.225
Transportation means
Lodging
Eating
Shopping
Entertainment
Willingness of revist
Willingness of recommendation
3.70
3.80
3.68
3.51
3.52
1.12
1.02
3.62
4.02
3.98
3.74
3.89
1.06
1.02
0.565
-1.821
-2.309
-1.679
-2.588
1.246
-0.221
0.573
0.070
0.023
0.096
0.011
0.215
0.825
4 Conclusion
First-time and repeat visitors’ behavior is similar mainly but little different at pre-trip. They all prefer to
natural landscape, leisure and vacation item, rural idyllic landscape and human landscape. The little
difference is that repeat visitors preferred to urban shopping and entertainment while first-time visitors
are inclined to ecology and health preservation item, outdoors exploration item. Their main purpose is
sightseeing and repeat visitors’ percentage of visiting friends and relatives and special product shopping
is higher. They use mainly internet, travel agency and recommendation by friends and relatives to select
information and first-time visitors’ percentage of these channel is a little higher.
It is also similar mainly at transportation means and consumption at mid-trip. Two types of visitors
travel by long-distance bus and self-driving mainly. Their consumption is focus on the level of more
than 500 yuan, that shows high tendency and repeat visitors consume more higher. Two types of visitors
show difference at tourism manner and stay time. Although they all prefer to travel by group, first-time
visitors are organized by travel agency mainly, while repeat visitors mainly with friends and relatives.
First-time visitors’ stay time is concentrated on 1-2 days, but repeat visitors are more than 2 days.
At post-trip, two types of visitors have high satisfaction at tourist areas and spots but low at transporting.
They have great difference at eating and entertaining, and repeat visitors’ satisfaction and loyalty is
higher than first-time visitors.
The research’s conclusion offers meaningful enlightenment for tourism destination’s development and
marketing. Because the sample size is limited, yet the conclusion may not be applicable to all tourism
destinations, and more related researches are needed.
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