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Global trends in length of stay : implications for destination management and climate change

Gössling, Stefan LU ; Scott, Daniel and Hall, C. Michael (2018) In Journal of Sustainable Tourism 26(12). p.2087-2101
Abstract

Length-of-stay (LOS) is a key parameter in destination management that determines the number of guest nights relative to arrival numbers, with concomitant repercussions for revenue generation and other performance indicators. This article investigates the development of LOS for 32 destinations in developed and emerging economies as well as Small Islands and Developing States (SIDS). The analysis is based on UNWTO data for 478.5 million international tourist arrivals, or about 40% of the global total in 2015, for the years 1995–2015. Results show considerable differences in LOS between destinations, with a global trend of falling LOS, by 14.8% over the study period. However, in individual destination countries, LOS was found to be... (More)

Length-of-stay (LOS) is a key parameter in destination management that determines the number of guest nights relative to arrival numbers, with concomitant repercussions for revenue generation and other performance indicators. This article investigates the development of LOS for 32 destinations in developed and emerging economies as well as Small Islands and Developing States (SIDS). The analysis is based on UNWTO data for 478.5 million international tourist arrivals, or about 40% of the global total in 2015, for the years 1995–2015. Results show considerable differences in LOS between destinations, with a global trend of falling LOS, by 14.8% over the study period. However, in individual destination countries, LOS was found to be increasing. Analyses of LOS trends reveal that these can neither be explained by distance–decay relationships nor business to leisure arrival ratios. Results are discussed with regard for destination management and revenue optimisation, transport infrastructure needs, as well as sector greenhouse gas emissions.

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author
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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Climate change, destination management, greenhouse gas emissions, length of stay, optimisation, transport capacity
in
Journal of Sustainable Tourism
volume
26
issue
12
pages
2087 - 2101
publisher
Routledge
external identifiers
  • scopus:85059069129
ISSN
0966-9582
DOI
10.1080/09669582.2018.1529771
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
eea07373-8da6-431d-b930-94394745d5d5
date added to LUP
2019-01-14 12:49:11
date last changed
2022-12-23 01:03:25
@article{eea07373-8da6-431d-b930-94394745d5d5,
  abstract     = {{<p>Length-of-stay (LOS) is a key parameter in destination management that determines the number of guest nights relative to arrival numbers, with concomitant repercussions for revenue generation and other performance indicators. This article investigates the development of LOS for 32 destinations in developed and emerging economies as well as Small Islands and Developing States (SIDS). The analysis is based on UNWTO data for 478.5 million international tourist arrivals, or about 40% of the global total in 2015, for the years 1995–2015. Results show considerable differences in LOS between destinations, with a global trend of falling LOS, by 14.8% over the study period. However, in individual destination countries, LOS was found to be increasing. Analyses of LOS trends reveal that these can neither be explained by distance–decay relationships nor business to leisure arrival ratios. Results are discussed with regard for destination management and revenue optimisation, transport infrastructure needs, as well as sector greenhouse gas emissions.</p>}},
  author       = {{Gössling, Stefan and Scott, Daniel and Hall, C. Michael}},
  issn         = {{0966-9582}},
  keywords     = {{Climate change; destination management; greenhouse gas emissions; length of stay; optimisation; transport capacity}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{12}},
  pages        = {{2087--2101}},
  publisher    = {{Routledge}},
  series       = {{Journal of Sustainable Tourism}},
  title        = {{Global trends in length of stay : implications for destination management and climate change}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2018.1529771}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/09669582.2018.1529771}},
  volume       = {{26}},
  year         = {{2018}},
}