Cultural proximity, destination familiarity and tourists’ sense of away-from-home (SAFH)

Abstract

Travel is about leaving home. Immersing in a non-daily environment spontaneously gives people a sense of away-from-home (SAFH) - a concept natively related to travel, but rarely discussed in prior studies. This study proposes this novel concept of SAFH building on the dualistic context of home and away to describe the emotive states people develop at a tourist destination, relative to their home environment. The components of SAFH, and the influences of cultural proximity, destination familiarity, and geographic distance on these senses, are investigated. A set of data (498 samples) was collected from domestic tourists from other regions of China visiting the city of Hangzhou. The findings indicate that tourists' SAFH comprises of five senses: Novelty, uncomfortableness, insecurity, situational uncontrollability, and emotional isolation. Tourists’ destination familiarity significantly influences their SAFH. The direct and indirect impacts of cultural proximity on the SAFH mainly exist in the long-haul travelling group. In conclusion, when travelling in a particular destination, tourists generate a sense of away-from-home which varies due to their different origins and familiarities with the destination.