Understanding college student tourists' travel choices: Economic implications from latent class nested logit modelling

In the post-pandemic context, there is a notable lack of in-depth investigation on transport attributes influencing college student tourists' mode choices for medium to long-distance journeys. Based on the stated-preference survey data, this study addresses this oversight by developing latent class nested logit models to simultaneously accommodate individuals' preference heterogeneity and the potential substitution effects among coach, normal-speed train, high-speed train, and airline. Two distinct latent market segments were identified: Pro-convenience and Pro-experience, each displaying unique travel preferences measured by elasticity, first difference and willingness-to-pay. Influential factors in mode choice were found to be travel cost, access time, in-vehicle time, service frequency, and seat comfort, while females showing a higher preference for seat comfort. Advance arrival time, defined as the pre-departure waiting period at the station or airport, was found to be an insignificant factor for student travellers' mode choices. Our findings both support and challenge existing theories in consumer travel behaviour. This research provides nuanced insights into college student tourists' mode choices, proposing practical strategies for enhancing low-carbon public transportation, therefore facilitating the transportation, tourism and environmental sustainability.