Beyond the gravity model

Abstract

Gravity theory holds that more people will travel from a particular origin to a given destination than will travel to a more distant destination of the same type and size. Distance, according to gravity theory is a deterrent to travel and empirical evidence supports such a relationship in urban settings. This relationship is, however, hypothesized not to be true for long-distance leisure travel where distance may be a utility rather than a friction to be overcome. This study examines the relationship between subjective (perceived) distance and objective (geographic) distance and tests the hypothesis that, all other things being equal, the attractiveness of tourist destinations will increase as subjective distance increases. It is concluded that tourists tend to perceive all destinations to be closer than they actually are. It is also concluded that the far-off destination has a special allure about it simply because it is far-off.