ABSTRACT
The relationship between tourist demographic characteristics, preferences, and satisfaction has been widely explored in tourism literature. The aim of this study was to examine the influence of tourist demographic characteristics on wildlife species diversity preferences in visited parks and willingness to revisit the destination. Data were collected at the Kilimanjaro International Airport via questionnaires distributed during the high tourist season to tourists visiting northern protected areas in Tanzania. The results demonstrate that the majority of respondents were male, older adults (i.e. ages above 60 years), had average income (earning US$40,000–140,000 per year), had at least a Bachelor’s degree or had attended some college and originated from either Europe or North America. Similarly, the majority of the respondents (86.3%, n = 449) were first-time visitors. The results show further that female respondents have a significantly higher willingness to revisit the destination than male respondents. Consistent with previous research, male respondents held different views from female respondents about wildlife species diversity in visited parks. In particular, male respondents significantly preferred more diversity of wildlife species than female respondents. Interestingly, this gap was observed only for respondents with lower levels of education. The chapter examines what these differences might mean for the future of wildlife tourism in Tanzania.
