Abstract:
Studies in tourism have shown that visitor motivation to travel and experiences are important to every destination. This study therefore assessed the motivation and experiences of visitors to the Cape Coast destination area. The study was guided by a positivist philosophy of research- a quantitative approach. Questionnaires were used to collect data from 179 visitors to the Cape Coast destination area. Data was analysed through manual coding, use of chi-square and descriptive statistics. Results from the study revealed that, visitors who came to the Cape Coast destination area were mostly motivated by pull factors, especially history/culture and facilities /uniqueness of the Cape Coast destination area. Although visitors were motivated the least by push factors, they were pushed primarily to the Cape Coast destination area for knowledge improvement. It was established that, a significant relationship existed between continent of origin of visitors, occupation of visitors and motivation to visit the Cape Coast destination area. As a consequence of the motivation to the destination area, visitors had education/knowledge, local culture/history, escapist/refreshment, aesthetic, hedonism/entertainment and adverse experiences. A significant relationship was also found to exist between continent of origin of visitors, age of visitors, occupation of visitors and experiences of visitors to the Cape Coast destination area. Based on the findings, it is recommended that, locals should be educated to understand the importance of their interactions between themselves and visitors at the Cape Coast destination area as it will ensure positive flow of benefits to both parties. Also, facilities at the destination area should be regularly and carefully maintained to ensure continued satisfaction of visitors. Furthermore, proper drainage and sanitation systems should be put in place to ensure cleanliness of the Cape Coast destination area.
