Tourist motivations for visiting heritage attractions: new insights from a large US study

Abstract

This article describes the results of a large study measuring tourist motivations for visiting heritage-related attractions in a major state in the US. The study used a quantitative survey method with a sample size of more than 3,500 collected at dozens of diverse heritage tourism attractions in a geography spanning hundreds of miles. The methodology used a blended paper and online technique using QR image technology to assist respondents in completing surveys on any mobile device. The study also used GIS software to map survey data points. 'Seeing heritage attractions' was the top motivation cited by respondents for their visit (39%) followed by 'outdoor recreation' (22%), 'visiting friends and family' (13%) and 'just passing through' (8%). Eighteen percent of visitors reported that they visited because the lived nearby. Conclusions and limitations of the study as well as implications for future research are also discussed.