Choice of Tourist Destinations and Perceived Attractiveness in Benin: An Econometric and Predictive Model

Abstract

This article highlights the main factors influencing the choice of tourist destinations in Benin, as well as perceptions of their attractiveness. It reveals that these decisions are based primarily on sociodemographic, economic, and environmental variables, including cost, safety, satisfaction, and cultural diversity. The study also emphasizes the importance of structural conditions and service quality in assessing tourist attractiveness. Finally, a comparative analysis of predictive models shows that the XGBoost model outperforms the random forest model, although the latter confirms the relevance of the identified variables.