Tracing Consumption Pattern of Cruise Tourists in Copenhagen through GPS Technology

This paper aims at analyzing the relationship between tourists’ spatial behaviour and expenditure at the destination by means of an integration of traditional questionnaire-based survey and GPS technology. The complex information derived from GPS tracking device are analyzed through the implementation of various algorithm in order to synthesize key-characteristics of the itinerary undertaken. As a case study cruise passengers’ behaviour in the city of Copenhagen are analyzed thanks to the availability of information collected in 2018 and 2019. The relationship among cruise passengers’ expenditure at the destination, socio-demographic characteristics and mobility is analyzed through logistic regression models. The results show the relevance of spatial behaviour on expenditure. More in particular, stop activities are strongly associated with expenditure. Consequently, an analysis of stop locations is performed in order to highlight locations in which is likely that most of the expenditure is concentrated. The proposed approach is of relevance both from the methodological perspective, related to the analysis and synthesis of complex information derived from GPS tracking data, and from the applied point of view, with reference to destination marketing and management implications.