A comparative study of visitors to urban, coastal and rural areas. Evidence from the island of Crete

Taking as a case three diverse geographical locations, the coastal resort of Amoudara, the city of Heraklion and the village of Archanes, all of them within the border of the Prefecture of Heraklion on the island of Crete, the aim of this study has been set to provide a better understanding of differences between urban, rural and coastal tourists based on the attributes of the place they visit. Although due to various limitations results cannot be generalized beyond the study population, it was intriguing to find differences in motivations and preferences of urban, rural and coastal tourists which are a consequence of socio-demographic, motivation and travel-related variables. Based on these differences, this study provides implications for future decision making to target specific market segments. (C) 2011 International University College. All rights reserved