Serious leisure as a predictor of travel intentions and flow in motorcycle tourism

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe current study uses structural equation modelling to examine the relationships between serious leisure, the flow state, and travel intentions among motorcycle tourists. Serious leisure contrasts with casual leisure in that its participants are more committed to their pursuit, which can result in a more sustained benefit, achievement of a flow state, and enhance intention toward future travel. The findings reveal one's serious leisure orientation predicted their durable benefits, which then produced a positive relationship with flow and travel intentions. However, flow did not mediate the relationship between durable benefits and travel intentions, as hypothesised. This research provides empirical evidence of the value of using the serious leisure construct to capture the multi-faceted and complex experience that is motorcycle tourism and can augment comprehension of other high involvement tourism markets.