Do Tea-Drinking Habits Affect Individuals’ Intention to Visit Tea Tourism Destinations? Verification from the Chinese Cultural Background

Abstract

ABSTRACT The decision-making process underlying tourist destination selection involves complex interactions between tourists and societies, historical environments, and destinations. Based on self-congruity theory and practice theory, this study examined the effects of tea-drinking habits, destination image self-congruence, destination cognitive image, and destination affective image on Chinese tourists’ intention to visit a tea destination. The results indicated that individuals’ tea-drinking habits had a significantly positive effect on destination image self-congruence, which in turn positively influenced travel intention. Cognitive image had a significant effect on travel intention, but it had no indirect effect through the mediation of destination image self-congruence. However, affective image had no significant effect on travel intention; it had an indirect effect through the mediation of destination image self-congruence. Theoretical and methodological implications are also discussed.