Explaining tourism expenditure based on trip characteristics in emerging urban-cultural destinations

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine, through a microeconomic analysis, the extent to which trip characteristics influence tourism expenditure in 14 emerging urban-cultural cities in Andalusia (Spain). Design/methodology/approach This analysis was carried out using an ordinary least squares method, which measures influence on tourism expenditure based on the trip characteristics of tourists visiting emerging urban-cultural cities. For this, the authors used 3,030 surveys conducted on tourists who, in 2013, visited 14 emerging urban-cultural cities in Andalusia (Spain). Findings It was confirmed that certain trip characteristics – type of accommodation, length of stay, trip planning and internet use – determine tourism expenditure in these destinations. The findings provide stakeholders in these destinations with information for the implementation of policies aiming to increase revenue in destinations where tourism development levels are still in their infancy and where, therefore, there are many unexploited opportunities. Originality/value First, this study identifies those trip characteristics which influence tourist expenditure in emerging urban tourist destinations. These destinations, to date, had not been previously analysed in expenditure segmentation studies. Second, aside from the factors traditionally analysed in scientific literature, other trip-specific variables were considered; these relate to the means by which tourists familiarise themselves with their destination and the way in which they plan their trip (use of the internet), as the rise of new technologies has radically changed tourism.