An investigation into key market segments for Aboriginal tourism in northern British Columbia,Canada

Abstract

Aboriginal tourism is increasingly seen as a strategy for economic diversification by many Aboriginal communities. While demand for Aboriginal tourism experiences in North America has been demonstrated, little is known about visitor product preferences. This information is needed, however, by Aboriginal tourism business entrepreneurs and operators in order to manage for the long-term profitability of their businesses. Using a psychographic segmentation methodology, we surveyed visitors to northern British Columbia who expressed an interest in Aboriginal tourism to explore their interest in specific features of potential Aboriginal tourism products. Three distinct clusters were identified as the Culture Seekers, the Nature-Culture Observers and the Sightseers. The first two segments appear to hold the strongest potential for rural First Nation communities. In the end, which segment to target and which marketing channels to use will depend on each First Nation’s level of comfort in interacting with visitors and how much of their culture they are willing to share with tourists.