Considering a legal change into 40-hour work week, the increase in leisure time and a cultural trend of well-being, the change of leisure pattern toward developed country styles, the increase in population seeking for ocean sports tourism, the increase in land development of ocean and ocean tourism in the governmental level, related plans and policy direction, and the change in tourism types, ocean sports tourism has great value. Thus, the purpose of this study is to understand the characteristics of subjects' participation in ocean sports tourism, derive its selection attributes, and analyze the importance and the utility value of level of ocean sports tourism associated with demographic characteristics and lifestyle which are one of the methods of market segmentation. This process will realize the market segmentation of ocean sports tourism and propose marketing programs which effectively confront market demand, empirical materials needed to make a plan, and suggestion of marketing which has a competitive advantage from a manager's standpoint.
In order to achieve these purposes, a total of 1,000 participants in national living sports were selected as the population of this study using the stratified cluster random sampling. The research methods were personal interview, and a self-administered questionnaire survey. For sampling framework, a total of 1,000 subjects sampled from 10 places with 5 large cities(special and metropolitan cities) and 5 middle and small cities(towns and counties) where living sports community was in activity received questionnaires. Poor respondents or partially missed data were excluded, and finally 646 responses were actually used. The conjoint analysis which is commonly used to grasp consumer's desire was used as main analysis. In this study, it was used to derive the relative importance and utility value of the attributes of ocean sports tourism.
The results of this study were as follows.
1. Analysis of the subjects' participation types in ocean sports tourism
In the items of ocean sports tourism, the subjects were experienced in sea bathing most, followed by sea fishing and sea sightseeing, and wanted skin scuba diving most, followed by water ski and sea sightseeing. In the participation types of ocean leisure sports, 72% of the subjects have been ever experienced in ocean leisure sports.
The subjects preferred three days of ocean leisure sports most, followed by two days and four days, and their most preferred companion was family, followed by friends and community. The aim to subjects' participation was leisure and recreation, followed by getting rid of stress or tension, and family ties. The most frequent hindrance to participation in ocean sports tourism was excessive expenses, followed by much time, the lack of service and convenient facilities, the lack of recognition, the lack of various products. The most frequently used way to obtain information on ocean sports tourism was Internet, followed by media, human media, and print matters.
2. Analysis of the importance and the utility value of level of ocean sports tourism associated with demographic characteristics(accommodation, and ocean sports tourism activity and comfort)
①Sex: In accommodation, both men and women thought important of convenient facilities(high). While men thought important of ocean sports activity and comfort in tourism conditions, women thought important of programs.
In attributes-related levels, both men and women placed high utility value on outbuilding types, convenient facilities, only providing board and room, participational ocean leisure programs, and comfortable conditions.
②Age: In accommodation, all age groups but 40-49 thought important of convenient facilities. In ocean sports tourism activity and comfort, all age groups but 30-39 thought important of programs. Age of 30-39 thought important of tourism conditions.
In attributes-related levels, all age groups but age of 29 and under preferred outbuilding types such as condominium and pension. Age groups of 29 and under preferred room types such as hotel and motel. All age groups thought important of participational ocean leisure, colorful and comfortable conditions, convenient facilities such as dressing room, shower room, lounge, medical facilities, parking lot, and fitness center, and kind staff and cleanness. In service, all age groups but age of 50 and over preferred boarding types. In expenses, while age groups of 40 and over preferred 50,000-100,000 won, age groups of 39 and under preferred more than 100,000 won.
③Average income: Less than one million won in accommodation, more than 4 million won in the importance of service, and 1,000,000-2,290,000 won in convenient facilities showed high importance. Also, in the importance of ocean sports tourism activity and comfort, less than one million own in expenses, 1,000,000-1,990,000 won and 3,000,000-3,990,000 won in program, and 2,000,000-2,990,000 won and more than 4 million won in tourism conditions showed high importance.
In attributes-related levels, groups of less than one million won placed high utility value on convenient facilities(low), tourism conditions(average), 50,000-100,000 won of expenses, outbuilding types, and ocean sports.
④In educational background, high school graduates thought important of convenient facilities, college graduates and college students thought important of service, and graduate school graduates thought important of accommodation types. High school and college graduates thought important of ocean sports activity and comfort, college students thought important of programs, and graduate school graduates thought important of tourism conditions.
In attributes-related levels, all groups placed high utility value on convenient facilities(high), comfortable and colorful tourism conditions, and participational ocean leisure programs. In particular, groups of graduate school preferred to spend less than 50,000 won on accommodation/meal/events in service.
⑤Marriage: In accommodation, while the unmarried and married thought important of convenient facilities, others thought important of service. In ocean sports activity and comfort, while the unmarried thought important of programs, the married and others thought important of tourism conditions.
In attributes-related levels, while the unmarried(middle) and married(high) preferred convenient facilities and placed high utility value on outbuilding types of accommodation, accommodation/meal of service, and participational ocean leisure programs at more than 100,000 won, separated or divorce groups placed high utility value on room types, only accommodation, and 50,000-10,000 won respectively.
⑥Residential areas: The subjects living in both large and small cities thought important of convenient facilities in accommodation and tourism conditions in ocean sports activity and comfort.
In attributes-related levels, residents in large and small cities placed high utility value on outbuilding types, tourism conditions(high), and participational ocean leisure programs. In particular, while residents in large cities placed high utility value on more than 100,000 won, residents in small cities place high utility vale on less than 50,000 won.
3. Analysis of the importance and the utility value of level of ocean sports tourism associated with lifestyle(accommodation, and ocean sports tourism activity and comfort)
In the importance and the utility value of level of ocean sports tourism associated with lifestyle, for accommodation, while escape-out-of-life, society-oriented, and aim -oriented types thought important of convenient facilities, a health-oriented type thought important of accommodation types. For ocean sports activity and comfort, while society-oriented, aim -oriented, and health-oriented types thought important of tourism conditions, an escape-out-of-life type thought important of programs.
In attributes-related levels, an escape-out-of-life type placed high utility value on camp types, convenient facilities(high), and accommodation/meal/events for accommodation, and on participational leisure programs at more than 100,000 won and comfortable and colorful tourism conditions for ocean sports tourism and comfort. A society-oriented type placed high utility value on outbuilding types, convenient facilities(high), and accommodation/meal/events, and on participational leisure programs at 50,000-100,000 won and average tourism conditions. An aim-oriented type placed high utility value on camp types, convenient facilities(middle), and only accommodation, and on participational leisure programs at more than 50,000-100,000 won and comfortable tourism conditions. A health-oriented type placed high utility value on outbuilding types, convenient facilities(high), and accommodation/meal/events, and on participational leisure programs at more than 100,000 won and comfortable and colorful tourism conditions.
As found in attributes showing the importance of ocean sports tourism and utility value, the common results of this study suggest that outbuilding types were preferred in accommodation types, high and middle in convenient facilities, accommodation/meal in service, participational ocean leisure types at more than 100,000 won per one person in expenses, and comfortable and colorful places in tourism conditions. These results show that the increase in leisure time according to a fiveday week, a social trend of well-being, and actions related with the improvement of quality of life are intactly reflected in ocean sports tourism. Also, with the age of family-oriented society, participational ocean leisure programs are preferred in order that all family members can enjoy. For ocean sports tourism activity to secure its place as ocean sports, ocean sports facilities alone may be poorly competitive. In other words, it is urgently needed to take the form of ocean leisure theme park driven in the national level or to build ocean sports facilities in beaches or tourist resorts where consumers have easy access and develop package products consumers can easily experience.