Geotourist Profile Identification Using Binary Logit Modeling: Application to the Villuercas-Ibores-Jara Geopark (Spain)

Although the main objective of geoparks is to protect and preserve geological heritage, over recent years, touristic use of these parks has become a major tool of economic development. According to UNESCO, geoparks (protected areas containing a highly important geological heritage, rarity, or aesthetic aspect) should have educational and touristic orientations, in addition to their intrinsic protective purpose. In terms of tourism, geoparks have a strong differentiating factor, given their scarcity, rarity, and/or exceptional nature. However, tourism in geoparks demands an extensive knowledge of the demand (geotourists), since this knowledge is vital for the design of development, promotion, and commercialization strategies. Therefore, the objective of this work is to estimate the probability of practicing geotourism in the Villuercas-Ibores-Jara Geopark (Extremadura, Spain) through the use of a binary logistic regression model. For this, sociodemographic explanatory variables (gender, age), travel characteristics (type of travel group, lodging), and destination assessment (lodging, dining, service companies, natural conservation) characteristics are considered. Furthermore, control variables are introduced in the logistic model to determine whether or not this probability is (or is not) conditioned by the tourism season (high season vs low season).