INVESTIGATING THE FACTORS THAT AFFECT TOURISTS’ CHOICE OF DESTINATION: A CASE STUDY OF TOURIST ATTRACTIONS IN ALULA, SAUDI ARABIA

Abstract

Visitor attractions are often seen as an under-research field of study within the tourism system. The values of these attractions and within destinations are clearly seen in government national outcomes, destination development proposals and key assets of tourism strategies. The present paper examines the role, significance, and impact of visitor attraction management on the choice of destination among tourists by taking the case of Al-Ula, Saudi Arabia. Based on survey questionnaire from 159 respondents with domestic travellers in the Saudi Arabia, with quantitative analysis, the paper identified different factors impacting tourist’s destination of choice. The study articulates that various kinds of customer segmentation can be used for acknowledging and evaluating the customer needs and requirements. The demographic segmentation can help in referring to the targeted customers with the help of synchronised discrimination of their profiles according to the relative population approaches. It must be mentioned that various business functions and strategies can be developed with the help of fundamental demographic segmentation. The study also underscores the need for more research on different needs of visitors in context of visitor attractions, getting into the levels of engagement and development of experience for distinct visitor groups.