Exploring the relationship between accessibility and travel satisfaction in remote and challenging terrain of Tibet, China

The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau region is characterized by its rugged terrain, harsh climatic conditions, and relatively underdeveloped transportation infrastructure. Despite its geographical uniqueness, limited research has been conducted on the daily travel behavior and satisfaction from the local residents’ perspective. This study aims to fill the gap and explore the relationship between perceived and calculated accessibility, based on road and facility data, and residents’ travel satisfaction in Tibet Autonomous Region, China. A questionnaire was developed to collect data from 756 respondents, capturing their perceptions of daily travel behavior and travel quality. The findings reveal strong associations between both perceived and calculated accessibility and travel satisfaction, with perceived accessibility showing stronger associations compared to calculated accessibility. Additionally, road comfortability and altitude in travel environment variables are also significantly associated with travel satisfaction. The study reveals noteworthy threshold effects in the calculated accessibility to daily services (such as schools, hospitals, grocery stores, leisure and recreation places, and religious places), wherein the association with travel satisfaction shifts from positive to negative, emphasizing significant implications for the future planning and construction of transportation in remote areas. This study contributes to existing research by shedding light on the relationship between accessibility and travel satisfaction in remote and poorly accessible regions. With the growing recognition of travel satisfaction and its influencing factors, accessibility proves to be a valuable indicator for enhancing travelers’ cognitive evaluation of travel quality.