Tourism Motivations and Experiences of Visitors to Saint Martin’s Island Marine Protected Area in Bangladesh
Keywords:
Tourism motivations, Satisfaction, Visitor experiences, Revisit intention, Marine Protected Area, BangladeshAbstract
This study aimed to analyze the tourism motivations of visitors to Saint Martin’s Island Marine Protected Area in Bangladesh and to compare the motivations with the actual experiences visitors gained from visiting the park. Questionnaire was used to collect data from 420 park visitors, both domestic and international visitors. The survey data was analyzed by descriptive statistics, factor analysis, paired t-test, and correlation analysis. Factor analysis revealed four distinct push motivational factors: Embracing the Wilderness, Personal Enrichment, Tranquility & Escape, and Socializing (KMO=0.814; Total Variance Extracted=58.59%). Similarly, four pull motivational factors emerged: Destination Appeal, Destination Accessibility, Destination Attributes, and Destination Amenities (KMO=0.908; Total Variance Extracted=56.70). The pair of t-tests found significant differences between visitors’ desired experiences and actual experiences for all factors. The study also found a moderate positive correlation between visitor experiences and satisfaction (r=0.335; P<0.05) and a weak correlation between revisit intentions and experiences (r=0.104; P<0.05). The research posits that destination administrators should concentrate on three primary areas: environmental conservation, visitor experience enhancement, and practical accessibility improvements with the necessity of balanced approaches that preserve environmental integrity while improving visitor experiences from a management perspective.
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