An Analysis of Mode Choice Decisions for Long-Distance Recreational Travel in India

Analysis of long-distance travel behaviour is important for the planning and operation of inter-state, inter-city, and urban–rural transportation infrastructure and congestion management. Although there is a rich body of literature in this area from North America, Europe, and other developed regions around the world, limited work exists on long-distance travel behaviour in emerging economies such as India. This paper contributes to the literature on traveller mode choice decisions for long-distance recreational trips in India. Specifically, we develop a mode choice model that recognizes the uncertainty in the level of service (LOS) attributes arising from the lack of precise information on these variables due to the unavailability of precise destination information. In addition, we examine the influence of various household sociodemographic factors and trip characteristics on travellers' mode choice decisions. Results suggest that accounting for uncertainties in the LOS variables yields a model with improved fit and more reasonable willingness to pay (WTP) measures compared to models with aggregated LOS attributes. Furthermore, this study offers new insights into the values of travel time savings context for long distance travel, previously unavailable in the Indian context, potentially informing future transportation policies.