Theoretical Framework and Empirical Preferences in Photographic Tourism: A Comparison between University Students and Amateur Photographers in Italy

Photographic tourism is a niche market that is mainly devoted to amateur photographers. However, this form of tourism can also be of interest to novice photographers as they can put into practice the concepts learned during photography courses. The aim of this paper is to clarify the theoretical framework of this special interest tourism and to investigate preferences, especially as concerns the features of an “ideal photography-oriented package”. The economic aspect of how much more photographers are willing to spend on a package compared to regular tourists visiting the same destination will also be considered. Obviously, there will also be differences in spending capacity based on whether the photographer is a novice or an enthusiast. To compare the preferences of these groups, two online surveys were conducted on university students with an interest in photography and on amateur photographers that regularly used a well-known photographic social media site. The results obtained from a total of 1,153 respondents showed a clear difference between the two groups, both with respect to the inclusion of a workshop in the package – an essential element of photographic tourism – and the willingness to pay more to acquire a whole range of features specific to this form of tourism.