Demand Indicators for Adventure Tourism Packages in Costa Rica: An Exploratory Analysis

Abstract

This paper analyzes the management of international tourist demand for adventure activities in Costa Rica and Valle Central. In particular, tourist demand for activities such as hiking, bird watching, nature observation and visits to volcanoes, among others, is not being met by tour operators and travel agencies. These activities are being offered without knowledge of the best combined option or packages. Taking as reference the Survey for Non-resident Tourists, this study analyzes the global trend of preferences of the visitors during the period 2001-2007, including how these tourists would organize their holiday given the opportunity to do so. To this end, we develop a combinatory analysis with probability measures to assess levels of the demand preferences and the efficient management of the suppliers. The results show the combinations of different adventure tourism activities which are considered more appealing, as well as providing orientation for agents in this sector to improve management. © 2010, SAGE Publications. All rights reserved.