VISITORS' SPATIAL MOVEMENT PATTERNS AND MARKET SEGMENTATION IN WASHINGTON, DC

Visitors' movement patterns can provide important information on popular sites visited and the timing of visits. Such information can be used for transportation planning, appropriate use and management of tourism resources/facilities, and market segmentation. Traditional market segmentation methods typically use one or more nonspatial variables, which cannot reflect the spatial consumption of a destination if the spatial movement patterns are not considered. While studies on visitors' spatial movements in an urban area have recently gained popularity, few, if any, have investigated visitors' spatial movements in relation to urban forests (i.e., parks, gardens, and green spaces in an urban area). In view of this, this study segments visitor markets in Washington, DC based on dominant movement patterns of 1,090 visitors. General log-linear models are used to identify dominant movement patterns and poLCA in R Studio is used for segmentation analysis. Ten significant movement patterns are identified, including seven two-ward patterns and three three-ward patterns, with the National Mall as the most visited area in the city. Findings of this study are useful for the maintenance of urban forests, the design of visitor itineraries, and the effective marketing and management of attractions and facilities in the city.