Tourists’ spatial-temporal behavior patterns in theme parks: A case study of Ocean Park Hong Kong

Abstract: Time, space, and activities are considered three important domains of the tourist experience. The core time geography concept of the ‘space–time path’, which highlights activity-based constraints, serves as a powerful visualization and quantification tool revealing tourists' spatial-temporal behavior. Moreover, the proliferation of tourist-tracking technologies has enabled more precise tourist behavioral data than ever before. This paper aims to integrate multiple data sources to analyze tourists' spatial–temporal behavior patterns on a micro scale. A five-day survey was conducted at Ocean Park Hong Kong from July 6 to 10, 2014. Information about tourists' temporal–spatial behavior was gathered using handheld GPS tracking devices, and questionnaires were distributed to assess tourists' socio-psychological characteristics. Given marked differences in demographic and emotional characteristics, three spatial–temporal behavior clusters were identified via density center clustering, consisting of four factors: path length, tour time, coverage area, and oval circumference. This study presents a novel way to develop a better understanding of tourists' spatial-temporal behavior patterns based on GIS visualization and clustering methods from a microscopic perspective, thus contributing to theme park attraction management and tourist experience enhancements.