How Chinese Students’ Travel Constraints Influence Their Travel Intentions in Thailand: Moderating Role of Cross-Cultural Adaptation

Jehn-Yih Wong,Cheng-Yi Kuo

doi:10.3390/su13041665

Abstract

This study clarified the controversial travel constraints in the tourism literature and test the moderating role of cross-cultural adaptation (CCA) on the relationship between travel constraints and travel intention. In this study, 897 questionnaires were collected from Chinese students studying in Thailand. Structural equation modeling was adopted to test the proposed model, and the moderating effect of CCA was examined via multigroup analysis. Results demonstrated that interpersonal constraints positively influenced students’ travel intentions, whereas intrapersonal and structural constraints negatively affected such intentions. A significant moderating effect of CCA was also observed in the relationship between “interpersonal constraints and travel intentions” and “structural constraints and travel intentions”. Theoretical and practical implications for academics and practitioners in tourism and education management are provided.

Highlights

Travel constraints have attracted attention in the tourism literature, due to their effects on individuals’ behavior [1,2]
We propose that different levels of cross-cultural adaptation (CCA) related to Chinese students’ academic life, daily life, and intercultural communication apprehension play potentially moderating roles on their travel intentions
We considered that each student would need time to adapt to life in Thailand; to be eligible to participate, respondents were required to be in Thailand for at least 8 months at the time of data collection

Summary

Introduction

Travel constraints have attracted attention in the tourism literature, due to their effects on individuals’ behavior [1,2]. The three basic travel constraints under LCM are intrapersonal constraints, interpersonal constraints, and structural constraints. Some scholars confirmed that perceived constraints adversely affect individuals’ travel intentions and behavior [3,10], other research yielded varied results. [11] indicated that Chinese travelers’ interpersonal and structural constraints cannot significantly influence visit intention; rather, disinterest adversely affects these tourists’ revisit intentions. In ref [12], authors found that availability constraint (busy with other activities; lack of time; the trips I know that I cannot join) positively influences travel intention. Travel constraints pertaining to specific tourist segments and destinations might elicit disparate results

Methods

Results

Conclusion