Determining hiking experiences in nature-based tourist destinations

Visitor experiences in natural landscapes are considered integral components of visitor satisfaction research. Many studies have considered satisfaction as a cognitive process leading to an emotional state (J. Travel Res. 34(1) (1995) 11; Outdoor Recreation Benchmark 1988. Proceedings of the National Outdoor Recreation Forum, January, Tampa FL, pp. 422-438). Such emotional states are multidimensional and multisensory manifestations that are exhibited in numerous forms. At the same time they are influenced by preferences, values, beliefs and attitudes or in other words, social cognition of a visitor. Numerous techniques have been used to collect data showing the state of emotions/experiences. Techniques range from simple questionnaires administered in situ, to maintaining diaries of individual activities and experiences, to experiential sampling methods such as those adopted by Hull and Stewart (Environ. Behav. 27 (1995) 404). Recently, more expensive but effective instruments have been used such as video (Monitoring and Management of Visitor Flows in Recreational and Protected Areas. Conference Proceedings, pp. 296-301) and sensors using counters (Monitoring and Management of Visitor Flows in Recreational and Protected Areas. Conference Proceedings, pp. 258-263). The purpose of this paper is to document research currently underway, which is attempting to identify the underlying dimensions influencing visitor experiences through natural landscapes. This paper uses the generic term experience to cover a wide range of subjective meanings such as moods, emotions and feelings of individuals moving through natural landscapes. The study has conceptualised and empirically created constructs that underpin the character, magnitude and attributes of visitor experiences in natural landscapes. In situ measurements of feelings and experiences were determined via a questionnaire administered to a group of university students hiking along the Pinnacle walking track in the Grampians National Park in western Victoria, Australia. The study has applied two commonly used multivariate techniques, multidimensional scaling and principal components analysis to create constructs that model the nature and magnitude of the visitor experience in natural settings. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.