The length of stay determinants for sun-and-sand tourism: An application for the Region of Murcia

While tourist arrivals increase annually in Spain, tourist average real expenditure has decreased significantly over the last few years, with important effects on tourism revenues. The process is clearly driven by the reduction of the length of stay of tourists at destinations, but surprisingly this variable has received little attention in the literature. We estimate a length of stay function for sun-and-sand tourists visiting the Region of Murcia over the period 2002-2006 using count data models. Our results show that both tourists’ personal and family characteristics together with economic variables (budget restrictions, income and prices) are key factors in determining the duration of the stay. Quantitative identification of the determinants of a tourist’s length of stay could provide important guidelines for designing policies aimed at influencing length of stay in tourist‘s seaside destinations.