In postmodern tourism, the experiences of each tourist could not be summarized only through a unique perspective but multiple and disjointed perspectives are necessary. The aim of this paper is to create a nexus between postmodern tourist and fuzzy clustering, and to propose a suitable clustering procedure to segment postmodern tourists. From a methodological perspective, the main contribution of this paper is related to the use of the fuzzy theory from the beginning to the end of the clustering process. Furthermore, the suggested procedure is capable of analysing the uncertainty and vagueness that characterise the experiences and perceptions of postmodern consumers. From a managerial perspective, fuzzy clustering methods offer to practitioners a more realistic multidimensional description of the market not forcing consumers to belong to one cluster. Moreover, the results are easy and comprehensible to read since they are similar to those obtained with more traditional clustering techniques

A review of the literature shows that the relationship between satisfaction and tourism expenditure, as well as the dependence among different tourist expenditure categories, are under-researched topics. The aim of this study is twofold: first, to investigate the influence on tourism expenditure of tourists' satisfaction with the destination, correcting for the effect of some socio-demographic and trip-related variables; second, to study the dependence among tourist expenditure on the different tourist categories that create the overall expenditure for the trip. This study focuses on an analysis of the expenditure behaviour of a sample of international visitors who travelled in an area around the Dolomites in Northern Italy, adopting the double-hurdle model with the Heien and Wessells estimator. In discussing the results, policy implications and managerial issues for tourism destinations are presented.

This article investigates the effect that loyalty and tourist satisfaction with a sporting event have on visitors’ behavioural intention not only to revisit and recommend the event but also to revisit and recommend its nearby tourist destinations. The quantitative analysis is based on 343 self-administered questionnaires collected among the visitors of the Biathlon World Cup 2009 in South Tyrol, Northern Italy. The satisfaction variables were reduced to three factors: Services, Price, and Accessibility. Through the computation of numerous Logit models, this study shows that there is a positive relationship between the three satisfaction factors and the behavioural intention to revisit and recommend the event and its nearby tourist destinations to friends and relatives. Furthermore, loyalty to the event is strongly and positively related with the intention to revisit the event in the near future but not to revisit the destination or to recommend it to friends and relatives.

This paper examines the determinants of visitors' expenditure behaviour at cultural events. The authors analyse visitors' expenditure at the micro-level, dividing it into expenditure on accommodation and expenditure on food and beverages. The explicative variables taken into account are socio-demographic, economic, psychological and trip–related attributes. An ad hoc survey was conducted on the three most famous Christmas markets in the north of Italy in December 2008 and 2009. To achieve their aims, the authors use the robust double-hurdle model. The results indicate that travel purpose, region of origin, perception of the event, length of stay and age are significant factors influencing both the propensity to spend and the amount of money actually spent during visits. The findings will provide destination managers and tourism businesses with practical knowledge useful for destination marketing, event development and customer service.

This study analyses the economic impact of the Biathlon World Cup 2009 in Antholz-Anterselva. The survey concentrates on the immediate, direct and short-term additional revenue brought into the region by foreign sports event spectators. The authors first apply an expenditure-based segmentation technique to data collected during the event to separate respondents according to socio-demographic variables. Second, a Tobit analysis is applied to obtain an expenditure model that is useful in explaining the different determinants of trip expenditures by spectators of the event. The results reveal significant socio-demographic differences between the four expenditure groups. For instance, heavy spenders are composed mainly of mature tourists, arriving for the first time in medium-sized groups. Also, the most important factors in total expenditure are income level, the geographical origin of the spectator and the size of the travel group.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to assess the “motivation-satisfaction-loyalty” framework. Through a structural equation model (SEM), it is possible to disentangle attitudinal and behavioral loyalty as a multifaceted latent variable. Design/methodology/approach: The empirical analysis is based on data collected in wineries located in two important wine destinations: Trentino and South Tyrol (Italy). Notably, the motivation–satisfaction relationship is confirmed, and the SEM has also assessed the importance of winery services in affecting loyalty, expressed in terms of “visit other cellars,” “repeat a wine vacation” and “recommend wine routes.” Findings: Destination managers should consider the wine-related “relaxation” as the main push motivation, while the interactions experience are important pull motivations to drive wine tourists’ satisfaction. Nevertheless, the findings reveal that more proactive policies are needed to enhance local wines loyalty. Originality/value: The novelty of this study is to explore loyalty. In this respect, a multifaceted latent variable is expressed as follows: “buy local wines,” “visit other cellars,” “repeat a wine vacation” as behavioral attitudinal stated loyalty and “recommend wine routes” as attitudinal stated loyalty.