The factors influencing International tourists' travel behaviors

Abstract

Studying what factors influence international tourists' behavioural intentions is the focus of this study. Reviewing the current literature, most studies have concentrated a theoretical support for the relationships between behavioural intentions and other constructs included perceived value of destination, experience quality and travel motivations, but few or virtually none of academic works do so specifically examined the relationships between behavioural intentions and perceived value of online reviews of destination and how these constructs together affect tourist behavioural intentions. This study sought to explore tourists' behavioural intentions in relation to perceived value of online reviews of destination, travel motivations, and travel experience quality. This study adopted a quantitative approach via a survey questionnaire. Each construct’s measurement models are validated using exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis before the full measurement model is tested. The structural model is then used to evaluate the hypotheses for this thesis.The most valuable findings drawn are ; travel ‘pull’ motives were the best indicator, significant, direct and positive association with behavioural intentions. Also, the pull motives had a significant, direct and positive association with behavioural intentions. Experience quality was also a significant direct predictor of behavioural intentions. In contrast, perceived value of online reviews had no direct effect on behavioural intentions but did have an indirect effect through pull motivation and experience quality.The findings of this research indicate that perceived value of online reviews of destinations, travel motivations, and experience quality all influence tourists' behavior. Therefore, future research, particularly in the field of tourism, should incorporate the perceived importance of online review of destination factors in determining behavioural intentions along with other variables. As a result of the study, a framework has been developed for researching tourists' behavioural intentions, and these results can be used to devise marketing strategies applicable to destination and attraction branding.