Tourist Behavior Research Articles

Well-Being and Tourism: A Systematic Literature Review

In recent decades, the concept of well-being has often been the subject of psychological studies. The current study examines how tourism relates to well-being from the perspective of tourists/visitors, through the study of the older and more recent literature. Especially when it comes to the complex and multifaceted issue of well-being, in relation to the also complex and sensitive sectors of tourism, the specificity of this relationship is reflected in the evidence and the growing number of articles published in mainstream and reliable journals. By using the PRISMA framework, this article compares and evaluates published papers on the study of well-being and tourist behavior to guide and direct future research. It has been found that the relationship between well-being and tourism, especially after the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, has been significantly strengthened. This study highlights the need to adopt a holistic approach that considers all the connections between well-being and tourism.

Pro-Environmental Behavior of Tourists in Ecotourism Scenic Spots: The Promoting Role of Tourist Experience Quality in Place Attachment

Pro-Environmental Behavior of Tourists in Ecotourism Scenic Spots: The Promoting Role of Tourist Experience Quality in Place Attachment

Blind indoor navigation app for enhancing accessible tourism in smart cities

Purpose People with visual impairments or blindness (PwVIB) are mostly excluded from tourism activities. Despite the rise of assistive technology (AT) solutions in Tourism, acceptance remains low because of the difficulty of providing the right functionality, effectiveness and usability. Arguably, it can be said that disability-oriented training can affect the latter two and, therefore, an AT solution’s acceptance. This paper aims to contribute to the theory development and conceptualization of technology acceptance of AT solutions in Tourism by studying, in the context of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), the effects of training PwVIB on using AT solutions. This study presents the effects of training on the tourism behavior of PwVIB and provides valuable information to the stakeholders. Design/methodology/approach Questionnaire data collected from 128 PwVIB after evaluating an AT were subjected to exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling followed by post-evaluation interviews. The used application, called BlindMuseumTourer, enables high-precision autonomous indoor navigation for PwVIB in tourist places like museums and places of health care. Findings The results of this study indicate the partial satisfaction of the extended model validating the importance of performance expectancy and training (the new factor) in predicting the behavioral intention of PwVIB tourists toward using ATs during their tourist activities. This suggests that practitioners have to provide performant technological solutions accompanied by special training sessions for improved engagement and satisfaction. Originality/value This study contributes to the UTAUT theory in the context of Tourism for PwVIB by adding a new factor and replacing two moderator variables. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no similar work is studying AT acceptance by PwVIB in the tourism literature. Furthermore, the validation process used a novel indoor navigation application, demonstrating its effectiveness in the Tactual Museum of Greece.

‘Playing the tourist card’: Clandestine solidarity in occupied Timor‐Leste

AbstractConcepts of solidarity and justice have become salient in relation to tourism. This article describes clandestine activity in the name of solidarity but under the guise of tourism. When Indonesia opened Timor‐Leste to tourism in 1988, solidarity activists entered as tourists to obtain information and media that would contradict the official Indonesian position on the status of the territory and its people. Maintaining personae, these activists simulated tourist behaviour in order to avoid detection by the authorities. The information and media they gathered was critical in bringing pressure to bear on Indonesia to resolve the conflict.

Developing Destination Brand Equity for Achieving Sustainable Destination Environment: S‐O‐R Theory to Influence Tourists’ Environment Responsible Behavior

The excessive use of natural resources and irresponsible behavior of tourists have posed severe threats to sustainable destination environment. In response, destination managers have been paying more attention to environmental protection and focusing on strategic ways to achieve a sustainable destination environment. Objective of the study is to analyze the influence of destination brand equity (DBE) on tourists’ environmentally responsible behavior (ERB). The study considered four dimensions of DBE, including perceived destination awareness, quality, image, and loyalty. Further, the study explored the interrelationship among the dimensions of DBE and considered perceived destination loyalty (PDL) as a mediator. Further the study explained tourists’ ERB with the serial mediation of perceived destination trust (PDT) and moderation of destination green equity (DGE). The study employed a self-administrative survey method, and data were gathered from 911 respondents who attended selected nature parks. Results for DBE indicated insignificant effect of perceived destination awareness (PDA) on tourists’ ERB, while perceived destination quality (PDQ) and perceived destination image (PDI) have a significant impact on tourists’ ERB. Further results indicated that PDL has significantly mediated all three dimensions of DBE. The results also revealed that PDT and PDL serially mediated the effect of PDA, PAQ, and PDI on tourists’ ERB. Finally, moderation results indicated that DGE significantly moderated the effect of PDQ, PDI, and PDL on tourists’ ERB. The study has enhanced the existing literature on destination branding and tourists’ ERB through Stimuli‐Organism‐Response (S‐O‐R) model. The study has proposed significant branding strategies for destination management to influence tourists’ ERB. The study has also suggested strategies for policymakers and tourism departments.

A Study on Travel Motivation, Attitude, and Travel Intention of the Tourists Visiting Chandragiri Hills

This research aims to explore the relationship between travel motivation, tourists’ attitudes, and travel intention, with a specific focus on Chandragiri Hills a new destination that has attracted many domestic and international tourists, since its inception in 2016. Yet the academic research of its tourism dynamics remains limited. Utilizing a descriptive survey questionnaire, data were collected from 450 tourists to analyze the construct of travel motivation, attitude towards the destination, and travel intention. The results of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses revealed altogether 30 measurement items regarding travel motivation, attitude, and travel intention. The data were analyzed using the theory of planned behaviour. The findings of the study revealed that motivation significantly influences both tourist's attitude and their travel intention. Novelty-seeking, relaxation, and social interaction are the chief push factors contributing to positive attitudes towards the destination. The findings have meaningful implications for tourism marketing strategies, whereby such motivational factors come to the centre to develop the attractiveness of Chandragiri Hills and improve tourism management practices. The result contributes to a greater understanding of tourist behavior in emerging destinations and provides insight into how effective planning and management could work within the tourism sector.

Residents’ place attachment and tourist sexual behaviour in a European coastal tourist destination

PurposeDespite extensive research into residents’ attitudes towards tourist behaviour, little has been explored about the extent to which visitors’ practices contribute to the formation of residents’ bonds with their place of residence, which is also a tourist destination. Therefore, this research aims to determine how residents’ perception of tourist sexual behaviour affects their engagement with the urban environment and the image of the city and tourist destination in which they live. To structure and interpret the various attitudes of the residents surveyed, the authors used a conceptual framework based on identity process theory (IPT) in relation to residents’ attitudes and the impact of a particular dimension of tourist behaviour – their sexual practices – on their perceived connection to their place of residence.Design/methodology/approachA questionnaire was administered to a sample of 457 residents in Salou to collect data regarding their assessments of the sexual behaviour of tourists in their community. A cluster analysis was used to classify residents according to their attitudes and stances towards the different sexual practices of visitors and their evaluation of the importance of those practices for current and future tourism at the destination. Finally, an analysis of variance was performed to compare significant differences in attitudes towards tourist behaviour and the attachment to Salou among the different segments of residents identified.FindingsThe study identified four groups of residents classified by their attitudes towards tourist sexual behaviour: permissive bystanders, supportive expectants, ambivalent pragmatics and opposed rejectors. Two attitudinal components explain the differences between the groups: tolerance and personal interest, which are associated with how residents construct their bond with Salou in terms of place attachment (PA). These results align well with IPT, as they highlight processes of assimilation, evaluation and the contribution of symbolic significance to the place of residence, mediated by the perception of tourist sexual behaviour.Practical implicationsSome practical recommendations are offered to tourist destination administrations regarding the differences among residents’ attitudes towards tourist behaviour and PA. The findings can serve as a valuable tool for designing tourism policies aimed at selecting markets, as well as for marketing and promoting tourist destinations.Originality/valueThe originality of this study lies in that it considers the role of tourist sexual behaviour as a compositional element of the identity of the place – a tourist destination – where residents live, providing new empirical data on an under-researched academic issue. This article attempts to contribute to a critical perspective by conceptualising and introducing new elements for understanding the identity, attraction and sexuality of tourist sites. The study also connects with the urban analysis of tourist destinations, incorporating the role of sex into the social construction of the tourist city, the creation of identity and image and the attribution of symbolic meaning to destination settings.

Spatio-temporal behaviour of cruise passengers at the destination: a big data approach using mobile location events

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide a deeper understanding of the spatio-temporal behaviour of cruise passengers at a given destination using the city of Hamburg as a use case. Design/methodology/approach Big data in the form of passive location events from smartphones were analysed to determine the spatio-temporal behaviour of cruise tourists. The data were filtered using a definition created specifically for determining the signals of cruise passengers and were analysed using spatial statistics and network analysis methods. Findings In Hamburg, cruise passengers have a relatively small area of activity that is concentrated in the city's core tourist area. Foreign cruise passengers are less spatially concentrated than German passengers. Foreign passengers generate most of their visits at the airport and in the city's shopping areas, while German passengers are most frequently seen at the railway station and at the city's maritime experience locations. Originality/value Although numerous publications have examined the spatio-temporal behaviour of cruise passengers at the destination, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, no studies have used big data sources for this purpose. This paper uses passive location events from smartphones to determine the routes taken by cruise tourists in Hamburg, shows the strengths and weaknesses of this data source and suggests how cruise tourists can be defined from the data.

Towards green hospitality: exploring the consumer perceived value of pro-environmental star-graded accommodation

PurposeThis paper explores the effect of pro-environmental measures and green behaviour of star-graded accommodation establishments on the consumer perceived value that domestic tourists associate with them. From our study’s perspective, value creation via green hospitality may promote more responsible and environmentally friendly consumptive behaviour amongst domestic tourists.Design/methodology/approachDesigned as a cross-sectional deductive study, data were generated from an online panel sample of 440 South African domestic tourists. The hypotheses were tested using SmartPLS 4 via partial least squares–structural equation modelling. Further, multi-group analysis assessed and exposed gender-based differences.FindingsThe findings imply that green hospitality positively influences the value perceptions of tourists. More in-depth analyses indicate gender-based heterogeneity in the effect of green hospitality aspects on consumer perceived values. Our findings establish pro-environmentalism within the accommodation sector as an approach to initiating pro-environmental behaviour change through value creation.Originality/valueOur study extends the theory around pro-environmental behaviour and provides empirical evidence from domestic tourists as an under-researched population within the debate around tourism sustainability and green hospitality. The study sheds new light on the importance of supply-side green interventions in tourist behaviour and highlights the potential influence of gender differences. It explores this in the context of an emerging tourism destination in the Global South.

Revisiting sustainable tourism research: bibliometric insights and future research agenda

ABSTRACT This bibliometric review synthesizes sustainable tourism research over the past three decades, focusing on its alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Based on 1,383 journal articles from the Web of Science database, the RStudio Bibliometrix package analysed bibliometric performance, thematic maps, and co-occurrence networks. The findings highlight the role of sustainable tourism in advancing different SDGs. Findings also indicate three broader thematic areas for future research, including regenerative tourism ecosystems, responsible tourism behaviours, and right-sizing tourism. Through this review, we propose future research directions to enhance knowledge on sustainable tourism and its contribution to the SDGs, providing a strategic roadmap for researchers and policymakers.

A research need: exploring the experiences and behaviours of veiled Muslim female tourists in Western destinations

ABSTRACT Previous research has explored the dress code, behaviour, motivations, and experiences of Western and Asian female tourists during their visits to Western, Asian, and Islamic destinations. However, there is a paucity of research that explores the behaviour and perspectives of hijab-wearing female Muslim tourists when visiting Western destinations for tourism purposes. Furthermore, despite the fact that some studies have explored the experiences of Muslim women in Islamic destinations (i.e. Malysia and Turkey) there remains a significant research gap in examining the travel experiences and behaviours of veiled female Muslim tourists who visit Western destinations. This is surprising considering the significant market potential presented by Muslim women who travel to Western destinations and their patterns of consumption. This research note serves to encourage scholarly inquiry into the experiences, coping mechanisms, spatial and socio-contextual factors, and constraints faced by veiled Muslim female tourists in Western countries, while advocating for a comparative analysis with Asian and Western counterparts to facilitate a holistic comprehension of their travel experiences.

Is the pursuit of pleasure on vacation a barrier to environmentally sustainable behaviour?

Two types of happiness (eudaimonia and hedonia) could potentially be leveraged to trigger pro-environmental tourist behaviour while preserving or even enhancing guest satisfaction. Hedonia (sensory/immediate pleasure) is commonly considered a barrier to pro-environmental behaviour on vacation, while eudaimonia (fulfilment/growth) is generally thought to prompt pro-environmental behaviour. Whether, and in what way, hedonia and eudaimonia are associated with pro-environmental behaviour in tourism, remains empirically untested. This study assesses—for the first time—the empirical relationship of hedonia and eudaimonia with stated pro-environmental behaviour in both an imagined home and vacation context to determine tourism-specific context dependence. Eudaimonia emerges as being highly related to tourist pro-environmental behaviour, suggesting a promising leverage point for pro-environmental behaviour change interventions. Contrary to popular belief, there is no empirical evidence of hedonia being associated with tourist pro-environmental behaviour, suggesting it may not represent a barrier to such behaviour.

Responsible tourist behavior in ecotourism: the roles of value, satisfaction and intention

ABSTRACT This study aims to investigate and analyze the decisive factors that affect tourists’ environmentally responsible behaviour in tourism sites. The relationship between perceived value (PV), ecotourism intention (EI), satisfaction (S) and environmentally responsible tourist behaviour (TB) were discussed in the study. The research sample consists of the visitors of Kaziranga National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site of India. The survey used convenience sampling methods with 189 domestic tourists and then analyzed using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). The results establish that perceived value and ecotourism intention directly affect environmentally responsible behaviour. However, satisfaction does not have any impact on responsible behaviour of tourists, which suggests that satisfied tourists do not necessarily mean responsible tourists and a more strategic approach is needed to be developed. These strategies are discussed in the managerial implications and recommendations for future research.

The evolution and application of emotional solidarity theory in tourism behaviour research

ABSTRACT This manuscript critically examines the use and application of the emotional solidarity (ES) theoretical framework within tourism, hospitality, sports, and leisure research, highlighting the interdisciplinary utilisation of the theory from other fields to understand individuals’ behaviour. The current study addresses the challenges posed by the selection of ES, including the issues of behavioural indicators, theory time lag, theory stickiness, and the potential restrictions of literature reviews. Through this exploration, this study aims to advocate for a more inclusive and dynamic approach to theory application in tourism studies that respects the original discipline's paradigms while adapting to the evolving landscape research focusing on residents’ and tourists’ behaviour as it pertains to the inextricably linked relationship between the parties.

Tourists’ Experiences During the Covid-19 Pandemic in Plateau State, Nigeria: An Empirical Evaluation Using Chaos Theory

The safety of tourists’ health when visiting any tourism business is critical in tourism management and development. By using chaos theory, this study aimed to understand how 408 tourists in Plateau State, Nigeria, behaved toward tourism-related businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Completed and retrieved responses were analyzed descriptively using an inductive method, following a pragmatic approach. The findings of this investigation are consistent with chaos theory. Results from our survey indicate that 93% of tourists took precautions. This suggests that in an otherwise random and chaotic period of the tourism crisis, self-organization brought order and new stability. With a mean score of 40%, safety and hygiene were ranked as the two main influencing factors that changed tourists’ actual behaviour during the pandemic. The alteration in behaviour might be attributed to tourists’ awareness of their risk of catching the COVID-19 virus when visiting tourist attractions. Empirical evidence shows that non-interactive restriction techniques had a significant impact on tourist behaviour. Thus, the impact of the pandemic on tourists’ protective behaviour continues to play a part in tourists’ behaviour during and after the pandemic, implying that the chaos theory approach might be used as a crisis management tool in the tourism industry.

EFFECTS OF TOURIST MOTIVATION ON TOURISM PLANNING: A CASE STUDY OF DOMESTIC TOURISTS IN VIETNAM

Tourist motivations is a fundamental aspect of tourism planning as it enhances marketing efforts, product development, competitive positioning, and facilitates informed policymaking. As such, the present study provides accurate data with which to develop tourism planning in Vietnam based on the push motivation and pull motivation factors of Vietnamese domestic tourists. A quantitative method, namely, a questionnaire that was designed based on a self-desk study, expert opinions, and tour guide opinions, was used to collect data. Out of 670 questionnaire returned, 664 were ultimately usable for analysis. Descriptive analysis, factor analysis, and regression binary logistic models were then used to analyse the collected data. Seven important push motivation factors, namely, fulfilling prestige, fun and entertainment, escape, family and friends' togetherness, fulfilling spiritual needs, social relationships, and gaining knowledge were identified as important to Vietnamese domestic tourists. Meanwhile, the four important pull motivations for Vietnamese domestic tourists were events and activities; destination's facility, service, and trip sponsor; historical and cultural attractions; and natural resources. The findings can be used to develop tourism planning for domestic tourism in Vietnam. Destinations may use the insights on tourist motivations to attracts tourists and provide them with fulfilling experiences, which would, ultimately, contribute to the overall success and sustainability of Vietnam's tourism industry. Besides, the findings contribute to extant literature on the tourist motivations and tourist behaviours of Vietnamese domestic tourists. Lastly, the case study of Vietnam may serve as confirmation of the value of tourist motivations in tourism planning.

GUIDELINES FOR THE SERVICE QUALITY DEVELOPMENT OF SMALL BOUTIQUE HOTELS THAT ATTRACT DOMESTIC WORKCATION TOURISTS: THE CASE OF PATTAYA CITY, THAILAND

The aims of this study are to 1) study the level of service quality of small boutique hotels in Pattaya City, (2) study the behaviors of Domestic workcation tourists at small boutique hotels in Pattaya City, and (3) suggest guidelines for the service quality development of small boutique hotels that attract domestic workcation tourists in Pattaya City. Small boutique hotels are presently dispersed around the globe, especially in Pattaya City, Thailand, where small boutique hotels are plentiful. Meanwhile, the concept of ‘workcation’ is more recognizable due to its concept of ‘anywhere is an office’. Although this concept is not new, limited studies concerning workcation tourists were found, particularly studies of service quality among small boutique hotels as well as workcation tourists’ behaviors. A mixed research method was used to accomplish the research objectives. For quantitative research, a validated questionnaire was refined to collect data from targeted samples of 400 domestic workcation tourists who had stayed at small boutique hotels in Pattaya City. For qualitative research, a semi-structured in-depth interview was organized to collect data from 30 small boutique hotel entrepreneurs in Pattaya. The results indicated that domestic workcation tourists prioritize the following service quality factors: tangibility (x̄ = 4.51), responsiveness (x̄ = 4.51), reliability (x̄ = 4.48), assurance (x̄ = 4.29), and empathy (x̄ = 4.35). For behavioral studies, the findings revealed that domestic workcation tourists usually traveled alone, spent only one night at the hotels, stayed over five times per year, preferred July–September as a travel period, obtained hotel information via social media, and regularly made reservations through social media platforms. Having an internet connection was crucial to them. Lastly, three dimensions of guidelines were formulated, including human resource development, organization development, and information technology development. The findings give valuable insights for tourism stakeholders to cater domestic workcation tourists in response to the blooming of small boutique hotels in Pattaya, Thailand and other equivalent areas.

Uncovering Tourist Visit Intentions on Social Media through Sentence Transformers

The problem of understanding and predicting tourist behavior in choosing their destinations is a long-standing one. The first step in the process is to understand users’ intention to visit a country, which may later translate into an actual visit. Would-be tourists may express their intention to visit a destination on social media. Being able to predict their intention may be useful for targeted promotion campaigns. In this paper, we propose an algorithm to predict visit (or revisit) intentions based on the texts in posts on social media. The algorithm relies on a neural network sentence-transformer architecture using optimized embedding and a logistic classifier. Employing two real labeled datasets from Twitter (now X) for training, the algorithm achieved 90% accuracy and balanced performances over the two classes (visit intention vs. no-visit intention). The algorithm was capable of predicting intentions to visit with high accuracy, even when fed with very imbalanced datasets, where the posts showing the intention to visit were an extremely small minority.

The Perception of Health Belief and Vaccine Valence Towards Domestic Tourist Intention to Travel during COVID-19 Pandemic

This research investigates health risk perception and vaccine valence as factors that affect Malaysian intention to engage in domestic vacations. An online survey was created with Google Forms and distributed to a sample of 265 domestic travellers at least 18 years of age in May and June 2021; this is when the nationwide vaccine program started in Malaysia. The result indicates that vaccine valence risk perception was a significant factor in affecting domestic vacation intention. Only perceived behavioural control and subjective norms mediated the relationship between health risk perception and domestic vacation intention. Overall, vaccine valence risk perception tested significantly with all constructs in this study due to the various factors, especially the timing of data collection where the data collection was carried out amid the national vaccination program. Hence, the vaccine is now perceived as a hope for many as the solution to the current pandemic problem. It indicates that domestic vacationers will return once vaccinated and when tourism sectors are open for business and resume their regular operation. These findings extend the body of knowledge for the theory of health belief and theory of planned behaviour in predicting tourist intention to travel during a pandemic. Findings also indicate the positive impact of vaccine valence on the tourist's intention to travel, which provides a glimpse of future tourist behaviour when facing similar uncertainties.

How Does Social Media Influence Tourist Behavior? A Conceptual Framework for Exploration

Purpose of the study: In the era of digitalization, the introduction of social media platforms has fundamentally changed how people access and exchange information, significantly impacting various societal spheres, including the travel and tourism industry. This study presents a conceptual framework of existing literature to examine the relationship between social media and its influence on travel behaviors in choosing tourist destinations. Methodology: An evaluation of recently published research papers, articles, and publications on social media and its influence on travel behaviors was conducted. Main Findings: Visitors may find it challenging to sort through possibilities due to information overload and decision fatigue caused by the abundance of data. However, when it comes to information exposure, perception creation, and decision-making during the pre-trip preparation stage, social media is an essential source of travel-related information. Applications of the study: This study highlights the multifaceted ways social media impacts travelers' decision-making processes, leading to a paradigm shift in how tourist destinations are chosen. Novelty/Originality of the study: This study encompasses review of more than 50 sources that inludes, research papers, blogs, websites, newspaper articles, magazines topresent a comprehensive view on the said title.