Vacation behavior using a sequence alignment method

The purpose of this paper is to suggest the use of sequence alignment methods to derive a typology of vacation behavior, incorporating the embedded sequential information.

Abstract

The classification and analysis of tourists continues to be an important research theme. Existing typologies are typically based on cross-sectional information of tourists' choice behavior. Consequently, the sequential data embedded in vacation histories is not explicitly considered when developing a typology of vacation behavior. The purpose of this paper is to suggest the use of sequence alignment methods to derive such a typology, incorporating the embedded sequential information. The quintessence of sequence alignment methods is explained and the results of an application to Dutch vacation history data are reported.