Travel Career Research Articles

Digital nomads: a systematic literature review and future research agenda

Purpose This study aims to address the need for robust conceptual foundations in the digital nomadism discourse through a systematic literature review (SLR). It delves into digital nomadism within sustainable tourism, providing valuable insights to foster community development. Design/methodology/approach This study uses a rigorous eight-step process that combines an SLR and a system dynamics approach. In the SLR phase, the authors use the theory, context, characteristics and methodology framework to identify key variables for a dynamic model of sustainable tourism through digital nomadism, following detailed search and selection criteria based on PRISMA guidelines. The second phase uses causal loop diagrams (CLDs) from the literature review to visualize relationships and inform future research directions. The CLD model is validated through literature-based and stakeholder interaction processes, focusing on the social, economic and environmental dimensions, resulting in the development of a robust conceptual model. Findings This study identified 28 theories, including agency–structure theory, travel career ladder theory, stakeholder theory and grounded theory, among others. Semi-structured interviews were the primary research method. Major themes explored encompass community interactions, work lifestyles, cultural aspects, financial considerations, infrastructure and policy. The proposed conceptual model aims to scrutinize relationships across economic, environmental and social dimensions, providing a foundation for investigating and promoting sustainable tourism. Research limitations/implications Policy implications involve refining taxation policies to maintain tax bases, promoting collaborative economic models and enforcing environmental regulations. Additionally, integrating community planning infrastructure and implementing demographic strategies to manage potential population shifts are crucial. Policies supporting education, skill transfer, health and well-being initiatives contribute significantly to fostering sustainable tourism practices and enhancing community vitality. Originality/value To the best of authors’ knowledge, this study is the first in the digital nomadism space to propose a conceptual model for sustainable tourism adoption.

The effect of income on the relationship between travel motives and destination choices

Background: Studies investigating the relationship between travel motivations and destination choice are often unidimensional and hierarchical, presenting limited perspectives on traveller groups with diverse socioeconomic backgrounds.Aim: This study investigates the variations in travel motives versus destination choices given different income bands. It presents a nuanced profile of income group members based on socio-demographic variables and travel experience.Setting: South African domestic tourism.Method: Threshold regression was applied to determine whether 13 motivations changed toward six destinations given specific income levels. Data from the 2019 South African Social Attitudes Survey (SASAS) were used and the weighted sample represented 42 573 093 South Africans.Results: The threshold regression materialised with between four to six breakpoints for most destinations. Fun dominated as a motive among lower income groups, as opposed to relationship building for higher income groups. Relaxation, as a known core travel motivation, did not lead to varied interest in specific destinations. Apart from motives, race and travel experience produced several significant differences.Conclusion: Income thresholds meaningfully explain variations in the relationship between travel motivations and destination choice. More effective marketing strategies should be built around travellers within overlooked markets.Contribution: The study provides novel empirical evidence that destination choice is non-linear and multifaceted. It applies threshold regression that has not been used in destination choice studies. Finer nuanced segments are identified and suggest an amendment to the travel career pattern (TCP) to accommodate developing and emergent travellers.

Exploring onshore excursion preferences among cruisers: application of the travel career pattern in the Hong Kong cruise tourism context

ABSTRACT Employing the travel career pattern (TCP) by Pearce (2019, Dreaming and longing. Tourist Behaviour, 20–40) as its guiding conceptual framework, the study explores cruise tourism and examines the factors and destination characteristics that influence the onshore excursion preferences of cruisers. Utilising a mixed-methods approach, the study combines qualitative content analysis and quantitative on-site questionnaire. The latter was administered to 602 participants at the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal in Hong Kong. Our findings provide insights into cruise passengers’ preferences for onshore excursions, particularly focusing on the attributes they value most in nearby destinations that are accessible from the cruise ship's ports of call. The study also identifies two distinct subgroups of cruisers (authenticity seekers and generic sightseers) who have different preferences when selecting places to visit at/nearby ports of call. The study contributes to the cruise tourism literature by exploring passengers’ onshore excursion preferences, a key component of their onboard experience. Moreover, it offers practical insights for destination management organisers keen on promoting their destinations to cruisers by capitalising on the proximity to a cruise port.

Sports tourism research: A bibliometric analysis and agenda for further inquiry

This study examines the origins, significant subjects, scientific advances, and future advancements in sports tourism research. We run a bibliometric analysis in R with the visualization tool Biblioshiny. The findings revealed four main clusters that have recently been examined in the knowledge domain: (1) sport tourist behaviors, (2) sustainable and economic development, (3) sports events and destination image, and (4) active-sport-event travel career progression. This study gives insight into the role of mega and small sports events in sustainable development in a tourist destination and identifies opportunities and limitations.

Does the travel career pattern model work for repeat tourists?

ABSTRACT Tourism researchers and practitioners have an interest in understanding tourists’ travel patterns, and one of the most used models applied to reach this goal is the seminal Travel Career Pattern (TCP) model. However, repeat tourism is underexplored and in the present research, the authors provide an initial investigation of repeat tourists using the TCP model. Based on survey data from 500 international tourists in India the present research found that the TCP model is valuable for exploring repeat tourists’ travel patterns and motives. Within the TCP model results show that middle level motives were found to be most important for tourists with more diverse travel experience which include nature, self-development and self-actualisation. Significant relationships were also found among the origin of tourists, their travel experiences and their motivational pattern.

We are Serious Event Travelers: Event Travel Careers And the Social Worlds of Arts Practitioners to International Arts Festivals and Events

For most arts practitioners, going on tour with their shows or to participate in international arts festivals and events is an essential part of developing their careers. An event travel career (ETC) is formed when people are serious enough about their leisure interests to travel to participate in related events. Existing studies on event travel career are focused on the serious sport tourists. This study employs an arts-informed life history approach to gain insights into the constraints and facilitators of the ETCs of 19 Singaporean arts practitioners. The theory of serious leisure, social worlds, and the event travel career concept provide a framework to qualitatively examine their ETCs. In an integrative framework constructed from their lives lived, the participants' membership in their social worlds emerged as the key driver throughout the development of their ETCs. The findings also draw attention to the emergence of new social worlds' leaders and stakeholders in attracting serious event travelers to new social worlds destinations, and recommend that destination marketers and event managers work with them for future planning in event tourism marketing.

여행경력 재개념화에 관한 연구

Since Pearce (1988) first suggested the concept of travel career in the tourism field, various research has been conducted, mainly focused on travelers’ psychological and behavioral changes induced by different travel careers. However, the effect and influence of travel careers varied across studies, indicating that the concept has yet to achieve a systematic and valid theory structure (Ko, 2018). More specifically, the limits of previous research are: 1) inconsistency of travel career 2) There is no discussion of subelements. 3) evaluating a travel career solely on the basis of “behavior” and “affect.” Therefore, it is important to draw an integrated conceptual model of a travel career and expand the discussion on subelements. In the field of leisure science, the level of participation in leisure activities is explained by the recreation specialization theory. Previous research has found that travel experience encompasses a variety of leisure behavior characteristics, and that theoretical structure on leisure phenomena provides a significant lead to understanding the characteristics of travel experience (Ko, 2017). On the basis of such a theoretical background, this study applies recreation specialization theory to the conceptualization of travel careers. The main significance of this study is that, while the concept of travel career lacked consistency and subelements, it considered problems drawn from prior studies and developed a systematically complemented measurement tool. Also, with the application of recreation specialization theory, a travel career was constructed with multiple dimensions, including subelements of behavior, cognition, and affect. In particular, the cognitive dimension was scarcely discussed in prior research and it made a contribution to the expansion of the theoretical structure of the travel career concept.

Travel career or childhood travel habit?: Which better explains adult travel behaviour?

This study investigates a popular theory of tourist motivation – the travel career pattern – and contrasts it against an alternative explanation – that childhood travel habits repeat throughout life. The key distinction is that the travel career pattern predicts change, whereas habit predicts repetition. This study tests competing hypotheses, using self-reported childhood and adulthood travel experiences, behaviours and motivations. Results point to childhood travel behaviour repeating as adult travel behaviour, supporting the key role of habit as a driver of travel behaviour. These findings represent a paradigm shift in our theoretical understanding of determinants of travel behaviour, which implies that habits could be used as leverage points for behavioural change in tourism.

TRAVEL ITCH AS A NEW PHENOMENON: TRAVEL MOTIVES AND ATTRIBUTES OF ITCHERS

Purpose – This study aims to better understand the phenomenon of travel itch by revealing the travel motives and travel attributes of “travel itchers” within the framework of motivational theories. Design/methodology/approach – This is an exploratory study. An online questionnaire was used to collect data from individuals who have first-hand experience of travel itch (N: 30). Data were analysed using content analysis within the framework of motivational theories. Findings – This exploratory study finds that travel itch means a desire to travel and findings revealed that the motives of travel itchers are novelty, escape, host-site involvement, self-actualization, stimulation in line with the Travel Career Pattern (TCP) except travel itself. Travel itself is both one of the main motives and coping methods that distinguish those from other travellers. For coping methods, itchers do travel-related activities apart from travel itself. Nonetheless, travel itch is a recurrent cycle even after having a holiday. Consequently, an attempt was made to redefine the concept of ‘travel itch’ in light of all these findings. Originality of the research – Travel itch is an interesting concept newly introduced into tourism literature. And in order to obtain data this study puts the travel itchers themselves who use this concept. Since this is one of the first studies to examine the concept of travel itch, this study can be a guide for future research and place the concept in the context of travel motivation.

Research on Consumption Behavior Preferences of Backpackers

With the continuous improvement of China's per capita GDP, people have higher and higher requirements for the quality of life, and tourism has become a rigid demand for people's lives. As a new form of tourism in China, backpacking has been favored by people. More and more people are joining the backpacking tourism. Therefore, it is urgent to develop the backpacking tourism market. Therefore, an in-depth understanding of backpackers’ consumer behavior preferences will help promote the backpacking tourism market and even the development of the entire tourism industry. Based on the research results at home and abroad, this paper studies the backpacker's consumer behavior preferences. Taking tourism consumption behavior theory and travel career ladder theory as the theoretical basis, it deeply analyzes the behavior characteristics of backpackers in the three stages of tourism decision-making, tourism experience, and tourism feedback. According to the analysis results, some suggestions are provided for the development of the backpacking tourism market.

The relationship between motive and in-destination behaviour

While a great deal of research has examined the relationship between motive and behaviour, virtually none has explored the relationship between travel motives and in-destination behavior. Motive research focuses on such issues as destination choice and loyalty, while in-destination behavior tends to track visitor movements without sufficient investigation into motives. This study examined the link between motive and behaviour in Bali. It is framed within Pearce's Travel Career Pattern motive model. Eight motive based segments were identified. Differences were noted in intensity of behaviour in the vast majority of the most popular activities undertaken or attractions visited. Management implications are identified.

Running Through Travel Career Progression: Social Worlds and Active Sport Tourism

Using social worlds as a framework, the purpose of this study was to determine the relationships between event travel career progression with travel behavior and related intentions. As such, this study has depicted the evolving behaviors and preferences of active sport tourists in an effort to improve the localized impact of events. Using previous research on social worlds and active sport event travel careers, the authors have hypothesized that differences in social worlds immersion would be present based on event participation, travel party conditions, flow-on tourism activities, and repeat/revisit intentions, as well as differences in flow-on tourism activities based on travel conditions. In partnership with a large running festival in the Midwest United States, data were collected and analyzed to test these hypotheses (N = 2,219). The results indicated support for the hypotheses previously outlined. Theoretical contributions to the study of active sport tourism and practical implications for the management of events and destinations are discussed.

Testing the event travel career trajectory in multiple participation sports

ABSTRACT This paper employs data from a large-scale survey of respondents from five mass-participation sport events in Sweden to test and develop the ‘event travel career trajectory’. The six inter-related hypotheses of the theoretical construct are examined, dealing with the evolution of participants’ motivations, event and destination choice criteria, and travel patterns and styles as their sport ‘involvement’ increases. Involvement has been measured by reference to both attitudes and event-travel activity. Analysis of data from over 6000 respondents reveals that these sport-event tourists progress along the career trajectory as they become significantly more involved. The most highly involved have significantly different preferences, preferring the accompaniment of a club or team; they spend a significantly larger amount of money on equipment, and self-improvement is a significantly stronger motivation. The most highly involved are more selective or demanding when it comes to choosing events, including more novelty seeking, wanting a party atmosphere, and favouring events with a higher reputation and prestige factor. They want a scenic/fast track or course and they have significantly different criteria for destination preferences, including a higher need for accessibility, quality services, strong reputation in sports, competence of event organizers, pleasant weather and attractive scenery. International participants have, on average, come further along the trajectory than domestic participants. In the concluding section, a dynamic explanation to the event travel career trajectory is suggested. Implications for destinations and events are discussed and further research needs are identified.

Influence of attractions on destination selection

AbstractThis study tests the juxtaposition of Pearce's Travel Career Pattern with McKercher's tourism product taxonomy by examining the relationship between motive and the role attractions' taxa play in influencing the decision to visit a destination. The study represents the third in a series of three papers, with the first two presenting a conceptual model and testing the model with secondary data, respectively. The study concluded that Pearce's core motives were associated with tourists seeking a destination experience, while when respondents expressed middle and outer layer motives, they tended to seek more of an attraction specific experience.

여행경력 수준에 따른 행동양식의 변화

This study was performed to identify the validity of the Fun-Evolving Model (Ko, 2002), rooted in value theory, by applying it to changing patterns of travelers’ behavioral modes on their travel career level. For travel career indexes, seven items for cumulative travel experience were measured into three objective and four subjective questions. Additionally, another three variables were set to assess the integrant travel career level. As the corresponding variable to predict the travel career indexes, five clusters were calculated from the measured fun-seeking behavioral modes reflecting the four stages (i.e., seeing, having, doing, and being modes). The data of 276 Korean samples who had been distributed into five subgroups by a K-mean cluster analysis, were analyzed into ordered logistic regression and one-way ANOVA. The results showed that three of the seven items, as well as the three integrant indexes on travel career level, were significant to predict the fun-evolving stages. All 10 career indexes were varied significantly and congruently across the five types of fun-seeking behavioral modes. This means that the Fun-Evolving Model is valid to explain the travel career phenomenon.

Development process of travel career

Development process of travel career

Slum Tourism as a Catalyst for Poverty Alleviation Among the Philippine Urban Poor: Government Policies Needed

Slum Tourism is one of the fastest growing tourism practices. Media mileage and advertising are the primary contributors in slum tourism's rapid growth in popularity and practice. As such, more discussions on this controversial practice ascended. The expanded popularity of slum tourism also fueled debates about the practice. Arguments in favor and against the practice of slum tourism ascended. The tourists, the locals, and the tour companies have their own distinct motivations in engaging in Slum Tourism. Tourists are primarily motivated by their internal motives for social interaction, exploration, curiosity, and the desire to make an impact. This paper intends to propose policy measures that would provide safety net, including standards and regulations, with respect to the practice of slum tourism in the Philippines. This study adopts three theoretical foundations: (a) Maslow’s (1943) Hierarchy of Needs, (b) Pearce’s (1991) Travel Career Ladder, and (c) Lee’s (1966) Push and Pull Model. Strictly considering the economic, social, environmental, and legal aspects of the practice of slum tourism and as a result of the analysis derived from existing literature and the Philippine setting, the author suggests certain policy measures that will provide safety net for the local community, the tourists, and the local economy. These include; (a) Policy for the creation of a Destination Management Team for slum sites; (b) Policy for the creation of Guidelines that enumerate the Do’s and Don’ts in slum tourism; (c) Policy for data collection, monitoring, and evaluation; and (d) Creation of a Policy Framework for slum tourism.

Zooming In: An Arts-informed Life History Approach to the Analysis of Event Travel Career Narratives

This article illustrates the operationalization of an analytical framework that draws on Pamphilon's Zoom Model and on an arts-informed life history research approach in the analysis of event travel career narratives. Nineteen Singaporean artists and producers in the performing arts world participated in the study, and were encouraged to create and employ memory maps, photographs, and artifacts as creative inquiries to describe and explain the stages of their event travel careers. The storying of lives is as complex as illustrating lives on paper. A structure is necessary to help researchers make sense of both visuals and narratives. Pamphilon's Zoom Model is adapted to incorporate creative inquiries (visuals). The model functions like a camera, providing the researcher with different levels of zoom, cues, and perspectives for the interpretation of visuals and narratives throughout the data collection process. The Zoom Model is a versatile instrument that not only provided structure for the storying of participants' lives but also allowed for the interpretation of visuals and stories across different time periods, providing richer stories and unfolding unexplored aspects of lives lived. Limitations of the arts-informed life history approach and the operations of the Zoom Model are discussed, and suggestions are presented for their future application.

Rethinking travel life cycle with travel career patterns

ABSTRACTOn the basis of previous life cycle literature, this study aims to further deliberate over the concept of travel life cycle (TLC) by integrating Pearce’s travel career pattern (TCP) theory. Links between TLC and TCP are investigated by determining the differences between the age and income groups. Results of four-year annual tourist surveys among 21,972 participants corroborate that TLC cannot be equated to family life cycle and be simply categorised by age, in which income level plays an important role. Middle-aged tourists in the high-income range show the most purchasing power in tourism, whereas those with mid-level income are the most business-oriented. Coinciding with Pearce’s TCP work, core travel motives are common motivations over the different stages of TLC. In addition, the middle layer motives are valued by tourists at an early stage. Moreover, theoretical and managerial implications are discussed.

Development process of travel career

Development process of travel career