Heterogeneity in destination choice: tourism in Africa

This study analyzes the Portuguese tourist choice process in relation to an emerging destination—Africa. The empirical study was conducted among Portuguese tourists by means of a mixed logit model. The model underlines the importance of a multistage process of decision since the probability of a Portuguese tourist taking a vacation in an African country depends on a mix of motivations concerning destination attributes, travel arrangements, information gathered, previous experience, and individual socioeconomic characteristics. Policy implications are derived for improving the understanding and management of the destination choices of heterogeneous tourists.