The Determinants of Convention Site Selection: A Logistic Choice Model from Experimental Data

Abstract
One of the most attractive segments of the travel and tourism market is the meetings and conventions sector. Convention and visitor bureaus (CVBs) covet this important visitor group to compete for a share of the spoils this segment now represents. But very little is known about the factors that determine how the site for a convention is chosen from among the many different alternative host destinations available. Consequently, CVBs and other destination management organizations (DMOs) lack adequate knowledge for competitive action. This study reports the results from a stated choice experiment on the Australian domestic conventions industry. It provides statistical evidence of the determinant site attributes that influence the choice of convention site and finds that although convention facility and accommodation factors are critical, a destination must offer additional features to compete effectively. The study also demonstrates the application of stated choice modeling for assessing the utility of each choice attribute.

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