Examining Interrelationships between Tourist Travel Mode and Trip Chain Choices Using the Nested Logit Model

As tourism grows, determining methods to ease traffic problems as a result of domestic tourism holidays has become a central issue in traffic planning and management. Trip chain and travel mode choices as well as their interplays are crucial in analysing and understanding the travel behaviour of tourists, which can help to address these problems. Therefore, this study explored the relationship between destination transportation modes and trip chain choices using nested logit models wherein two nest structures were used to analyse the decision processes of travellers. Empirical analysis confirmed the effectiveness of the rational model using survey data collected from 350 respondents in Nanjing, China in 2020. The results showed that tourists preferred deciding on the trip chain prior to the travel mode, and higher time and costs were acceptable when tourists selected a complex trip chain with tour activities. Moreover, non-local tourists owning a driver’s licence, travelling with companions, and staying for longer periods were more likely to use public transport with trip chains comprising tour activities; however, the relationship for trip chains with non-tour activities was the reverse. These findings are valuable for designing effective transport management strategies to ease traffic during holiday periods.