MOTIVATION-BASED CLUSTERING: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY OF VISITORS TO KRUGER NATIONAL PARK IN SOUTH AFRICA

Abstract

The Kruger National Park (KNP) is a well-known, highly successful, international tourist attraction in South Africa. Competition is, however, increasing and it is important for tourism products such as this park to understand its visitors and their specific needs. This will influence growth and long-term sustainability. Tourists visit parks such as KNP for specific reasons and therefore the aim on this study is to cluster tourists by means of motivation. Quantitative research was conducted by means of two surveys [June 2009 (N = 455) and December 2009 (N= 461)], resulting in 916 questionnaires. Two factor analyses were performed – one on travel motivations and one on park experiences. For travel motivations, a four-cluster solution appeared appropriate and the clusters were labelled Cluster 1: Self-focused Eco-thusiasts; Cluster 2: General Eco-thusiasts; Cluster 3: Social-Eco-thusiasts; and Cluster 4: Super-Eco-thusiasts. For park experiences, five factors were identified and labelled Factor 1: Staff encounters; Factor 2: Park activities; Factor 3: Park services; Factor 4: Maintenance; and Factor 5: Information provided. The results revealed similarities and differences between the clusters.