Factors influencing rural tourists' purchasing behaviour: four types of direct farm markets in South Korea

The objective of this study is to identify the factors that influence the purchasing behaviour of rural tourists in relation to four types of direct farm markets in South Korea: pick-your-own markets, on-farm markets, farmers' markets and online markets after visitation. The estimation results obtained from a binomial logistic regression model were used to identify the characteristics of those tourists most likely to opt for each type of direct farm market. A field survey was used to collect data from 437 visitors to rural areas in South Korea. The results show that various factors differentially affect tourists' decisions to visit specific areas or to visit each type of direct farm market. The findings indicate that the people most likely to buy in pick-your-own markets tend to be wealthier or male, whereas married women and people who live in metropolitan areas are more likely to visit on-farm markets.