Segmentation of cycling tourism market using recreation specialization

Cycling tourism is becoming a fashionable leisure activity in China. Cycling tourists are expected to make varied demands because they encompass diverse personal, travel, and activity-specific characteristics. It is vital to provide quality services to meet their demands; however, it is impossible to satisfy all tourist preferences. In general, finding a target market is ideal in order to offer tailored services. This study, thus, aimed to find specific target markets by segmenting cycling tourists based on levels of recreation specialization, which specifically measure the level of involvement in their recreational activities. Subsequently, it compared the leisure benefits (physical, psychological, and social) and destination loyalty (intention to revisit, recommend to others, and write positive online reviews) of the different recreation specialization levels. Data were obtained from cycling tourists via on-site and online surveys. Cluster analysis and t-test were conducted. Beginner and intermediate groups were identified. The intermediate group perceived two leisure benefits (physical and psychological) and destination loyalty items at greater extents than the beginner group, while the social rewards were equally adjudged as high by both groups. This paper finally discussed the theoretical and practical implications of the conducted study.