Young Travellers Research Articles

The Exploration Analysis of Socio Economic Status of Homestay Guest in Langkawi and Marketing Recommendations

Homestay business in Langkawi was operated in Malaysia since 1990s. At that time, the Ministry of Tourism, Art and Culture (MOTAC) trained local people as the homestay business owner and provided licensed for homestay operation in Langkawi island area. Generally, this homestay promotes an experience living with homestay business owner and their family, learn the local lifestyle, art and culture. Generally, at that time the consumer segmentation for homestay program is focusing on foreigner and students. Nowadays, the homestay guest is not just get demand from foreigner travelers but mostly the demand from young domestic travelers. The data gathered from LADA shows that the number of domestic travelers to Langkawi Island is increasing year by year. Since the number of homestays are growing in Langkawi, domestic travelers have an opportunity to visit and staying in Langkawi. Therefore, local people in Langkawi should take parts in Langkawi economic development. One of the businesses they could participate is providing the accommodation to travelers, authentic food and nature activities. Furthermore, cooperating with others small business holder who are operating the boat business and island hoping, restaurant, theme parks and farm explorace are the added value in this kind of business. This study aims to analyse the socioeconomic status of homestay guest in Langkawi Island. This result is achieved by two research objectives (1) to identify the socioeconomic background of respondents and (2) to explore the demand of traveling and homestay selection. Thus, this research was conducted using quantitative approach and survey research. There are 364 homestay guests at Langkawi Island involved in this study. The researcher gets co-operations and approval with several homestay business owners. The data was selected by simple random sampling. The findings shows that, most of the homestay guest is a young age group in category 27 to 35 years old. The number of man staying in homestay is higher than women. The young man come with friends and have a nature activities such as fishing, snorkeling and island hoping. Just a little number of man come with family and have a family gathering in Langkawi. In average, the women age 35 and single have an opportunity come to Langkawi with friends. The younger woman may have under tight family protection especially young Malay women. The age of 35 and the single Malay woman may have more freedom than the younger Malay women. They have work, some money and more independent to travel with friends. The little number of solo traveler in this study is a man, they come alone and stay in homestay. Mostly, the homestay guest in this study comes from B40 groups and they stay for one to two nights. The homestay give an opportunity for domestic traveler to come and overnight in Langkawi with payable price. This study is important to LADA and Ministry of Tourism, Act and Culture (MOTAC) to produce a training to local people in Langkawi about accommodation or homestay business. This is to generate the family economics of Langkawi local people. The finding is important for stakeholders and marketers for Langkawi homestay promotion to domestic and foreigner travelers.

Technology social practices by Millennials and Gen Z at airport departure terminals

Airports play a vital link in tourism mobilities in a competitive environment to satisfy passengers and increase non-aeronautical revenues. Drawing on the Social Practice Theory this paper seeks to explore the multi-layered use of technology by young adult travellers at departure terminals in airports. Guided by constructivist paradigm, seven focus group interviews over two time periods with 52 travellers were conducted that revealed differences in meanings, competencies and structures associated with process and discretionary technologies at airports. By focusing on practices rather than understanding individual behaviour the research reveals meanings associated with technology practices by young adults at airports, an alignment by young adults with process technologies and gaps with discretionary technologies at airports. Practically, this research provides airport management with a useful lens to increase satisfaction and revenues by re-imagining discretionary technologies in similar ways to process technologies at airport departure terminals.

Sexual behaviors at home and abroad: an online survey of Canadian young adult travelers

BackgroundFor young adults, travel- an accessible and aspirational experience- may be accompanied by high-risk lifestyle behaviors abroad, which in turn, increases the risk of sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections (STBBI). This study aimed to examine sexual and risk behaviors of young Canadian adults both at-home and during international travel.MethodsSexually-active Canadians, aged 18-25 years (N = 646) who travelled abroad in 2016, completed an online, cross-sectional survey analyzed by descriptive statistics. Outcome measures included young Canadian adults’ lifestyle risk and sexual behaviors at-home and abroad.ResultsSexual behaviors, both penetrative and non-penetrative activities, decreased significantly (p < 0.001; McNemar test) abroad compared to at-home. International travel elicited a statistically significant increase in alcohol consumption compared to at-home (Wilcoxon, z = − 11.341, p < 0.001). Partner type (new trip-acquired partner) abroad was associated with a greater number of travel-acquired sexual partners (Mann-Whitney, U = 4901, p < 0.001), inconsistent condom use during penetrative sex (U = 7215, p = 0.009), and sex under the influence of alcohol (Test of Two Proportions, p < 0.001).ConclusionsAlthough many young Canadian respondents practiced abstinence in their 2016 travel, for sexually-active travelers, new partner-type was related to high risk sexual behaviors. Young Canadians exhibited sexual risk behaviors both at-home and while travelling; suggesting the need for both domestic and pre-travel sexual health interventions.

Interrail youth travel (re)producing communities of belonging – memories of Finnish travellers 1972–1991

ABSTRACT The creation of the affordable Interrail rail ticket offer in 1972 opened up European railway networks to European youth, enabling unprecedented leisure travel abroad for many young travellers. In the Nordic countries especially, Interrail became a generational European youth experience in the 1970s and 1980s. This article examines how Finnish Interrail travellers reconstruct their experienced senses of belonging when reminiscing on their Interrail journeys between 1972 and 1991. The article is based on a qualitative analysis of Finnish Interrailers’ interviews and written narratives. One month’s travel abroad allowed participants to contemplate their identification with and attachments to various groups. Although many Finnish Interrailers experienced the nation state as one reference point in their identification, these young travellers also felt strong senses of belonging to different transnational groupings, such as youth as their age peers or the interrailing community. These findings demonstrate the multiplicity and situationality of belonging. Identification moreover appears as an ongoing temporal process in which reminiscing is also important.

Online Information Search Behaviour During Pandemic Covid – 19 among Young Travellers in Malaysia

During the Coronavirus illness (COVID-19) epidemic, young generations became accustomed to searching for travel and tourism information on the internet. As a result of the pandemic's limits on movement, Internet usage has risen dramatically. The developments in online information search related to travel and tourism must be investigated in order to aid the tourist industry's sustainability. During the Movement Control Order (MCO) period, this study looked at how young Malaysians searched for travel and tourism-related information online. The descriptive study was used to evaluate four variables: prior travel experience, online information participation, content, and travelling needs. An online poll was used to gather information from Malaysians across the country's 14 states. The replies of 348 people were analysed to see how the younger generation in Malaysia uses the internet to find information. According to the findings, nearly 90% of those surveyed have travelled at least once. Trivago.com is the most popular travel site, and Facebook is the most popular social networking platform, according to the statistics. In terms of content, the majority of searches are for travel destinations, although the majority of travellers' needs are for domestic travel. The findings of this research can be used to design marketing tactics for tourism products as well as recovery measures for the travel and tourism industry. This research can also add to our understanding of Malaysia's information search systems. This will assist Malaysia's tourism industry in making more informed decisions.

Mask-wearing intentions on airplanes during COVID-19 – Application of theory of planned behavior model

The COVID-19 pandemic has devastated the air transport industry, forcing airlines to take measures to ensure the safety of passengers and crewmembers. Among the many protective measures, mask mandate onboard the airplane is an important one, but travelers' mask-wearing intentions during flight remain uninvestigated especially in the US where mask use is a topic of on-going debate. This study focused on the mask use of airline passengers when they fly during COVID-19, using the theory of planned behavior (TPB) model to examine the relationship between nine predicting factors and the mask-wearing intention in the aircraft cabin. A survey instrument was developed to collect data from 1124 air travelers on Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk), and the data was statistically analyzed using structural equation modeling and logistic regression. Results showed that attitude, descriptive norms, risk avoidance, and information seeking significantly influenced the travelers' intention to wear a mask during flight in COVID-19. Group analysis further indicated that the four factors influenced mask-wearing intentions differently on young, middle-aged, and senior travelers. It was also found that demographic and travel characteristics including age, education, income, and travel frequency can be used to predict if the airline passenger was willing to pay a large amount to switch to airlines that adopted different mask policies during COVID-19. The findings of this study fill the research gap of air travelers’ intentions to wear a mask when flying during a global pandemic and provide recommendations for mask-wearing policies to help the air transport industry recover from COVID-19.

A Comparative Study of Passenger Multitasking Activities on Commuting and Leisure Electrified Intercity Railways

The electrification of intercity railways plays a significant role in energy conservation and emission reduction. Research on passenger travel activities to optimize vehicle services can help to understand how best to improve passenger attraction and the use of intercity railways. In this study, we conducted observational research on two electrified intercity railways that were segregated by the attributes, leisure, and commute. The purpose was to determine the influence of line attribute, passenger gender, age, and seat availability on the types of activities performed onboard, with specific attention placed on the use of information and communication technology (ICT). Using structured observations, the travel multitasking activity data of 467 passengers were collected on two intercity railways in real-life situations. Using the chi-square test and binary logistic regression analysis, it was found that line attribute, gender, age, and seat availability have an impact on passenger activities. Differences in factors affecting passenger activities were also found according to the nature of their travel, whether for commute or leisure. Our results suggest that passengers on the leisure line prefer to engage in some social activities. For example, the probability of conversation among passengers on the leisure line was 3.47 times that of the commuting line, and the middle-aged and elderly travelers on this line were more likely to be in a daze and look around. The probability of taking a break for passengers on the commuting line was 3.625 times that of the leisure line, and passengers who were not seated on this line were found to be more likely to be idle. In addition, male travelers and young travelers preferred to engage in ICT immersive activities, such as using mobile phones, while women, middle-aged, and elderly travelers were more likely to engage in non-ICT immersive activities. Seated passengers were more likely to engage in simultaneous multitasking activities, rest, and conversations than passengers without seats.

Supporting Tourism by Assessing the Predictors of COVID-19 Vaccination for Travel Reasons.

The persistence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus imposed vaccination passports for traveling in most countries. We investigated psychological factors that predict the intention to vaccinate for travel. In a cross-sectional study, we examined how demographic variables, vaccination status, perceived risk of infection and severity of disease contracted at travel destination, safety and effectiveness of vaccines against contracting COVID-19 during travel, and conspiracy beliefs are related to intention to vaccinate for travel. Further analyses involved differences between vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals in a Romanian sample regarding conspiracy beliefs, attitudes about vaccines, and self-efficacy of controlling COVID-19 infection. Results showed that the intention to vaccinate for travel reasons is best predicted by vaccination status and perceptions of safety and efficacy of vaccines against COVID-19. Thus, vaccinated individuals believing that vaccines are safe and effective most probably will take another vaccine booster if it will allow them to travel. Positive relationships of the intention to vaccinate for travel reasons were found with age, vaccination status, conspiracy beliefs, perceptions of safety and effectiveness of vaccines, intention to travel, and a more cautious approach to travel. No significant relationships were found between perceptions of risk for self or for transmitting the disease to others, severity of disease, and the intention to vaccinate for travel. We also found significant differences between vaccinated and unvaccinated participants, as unvaccinated participants showed higher levels of conspiracy beliefs and less trust in the safety and efficacy of vaccines. We conclude that campaigns focused on promoting information on the safety and efficacy of vaccines is the most important direction for promoting vaccination in young travelers.

Perceptions of Risks amidst COVID-19 on the Youth’s Domestic Travel Intentions in Ghana

Domestic tourism serves as a “mainstay” of the tourism sectors in many parts of the world, particularly in developed countries, such as China and India. With an increase in the growth of the youth globally, young travelers have unique travel intentions other than the general population. There is the need to probe on young travelers since recent findings reveal that the youth has not been affected by the crises. The aim is to examine the risks perceptions of the youth regarding domestic travel amidst the pandemic and tourist characteristics were also explored. The study integrates Roger’s protection motivation theory to address the aim of the study. Based on stratified sampling, 300 completed questionnaires were used for analyses. Findings revealed that sources of information and number of past travel experiences influence perceptions of risks amidst the COVID-19 crises. The results of this study show that physical risk does affect participants travel intentions during the pandemic. Results of this research may aid in developing interventions for promoting domestic tourism and modelling domestic travel demands; add up to the status quo of domestic travel research on COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana and for future marketing campaigns.

Intention of young travellers to travel during the COVID-19 pandemic

The global health pandemic (COVID-19) has led to a significant decline in tourism activities and challenged existing norms and practices of the tourism sector. As international travel is restricted, the tourism sector is trying to promote domestic tourism by following health guidelines. This study aims to measure the relationships among social media travel content, perceived social risk of travel, attitude toward travel, and intention to travel during the pandemic time. The data were collected from young travellers in Bangladesh. The structural equation modelling (SEM) technique was used to estimate the relationships among the constructs. The results show that both social media travel content and perceived social risk of travel are significantly related to attitude toward travel and intention to travel. The association between attitude toward travel and intention to travel is also found significant. Destination managers are recommended to implement social media activation programs (e.g., a persuasive advertising campaign) and promote safe travel on their social media platforms (e.g., Facebook) to reduce perceived social risk of travel and create a positive attitude of travellers toward travel domestically during the global pandemic.

Intention of young travellers to travel during the COVID-19 pandemic

Intention of young travellers to travel during the COVID-19 pandemic

Motivations of urban millennials for spiritual travel in India

ABSTRACT The understanding of spirituality has come far from the traditional viewpoint of being a subset of religion. Consequently, contemporary spiritual tourism includes a vast realm of experiences to cater to heterogeneous spiritual tourists. Young travellers worldwide are increasingly attracted to spirituality. The research’s principal objective is to determine the factors driving urban millennials in India to travel for spirituality. This objective was achieved through phenomenological analysis of their interviews which renders a meaningful understanding of their travel choices and behaviour. The push factors such as mental morbidities, corporate pressure, or curiosity shape the spiritual tourists’ motivations, which are further manifested in the kind of activities they opt for during their journey. Therefore, the study identifies the prominent push factors and the motivations of the Indian Urban Millennial Spiritual Tourist (UMST). Further, the authors highlight the most desirable traits the spiritual tourists look for in a destination.

Examining Factors Influencing COVID-19 Vaccine Tourism for International Tourists

Since early 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on global tourism. Vaccine tourism is a novel health tourism concept, which provides an opportunity for countries with a vaccine surplus to offer medical tourism packages to entice international tourists from countries with vaccine shortages to visit for sightseeing and receive vaccine inoculations. Understanding the factors that influence people to adopt vaccine tourism is one of the strategies that could boost a country’s tourism sector and help to revive the local economy. This study aims to examine the factors influencing the intention to adopt and recommend COVID-19 vaccine tourism among young travelers. A total of 179 questionnaire surveys were collected from traveling-related social media outlets. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was performed to analyze the data. The results indicate that young tourists in Thailand are inclined to promote vaccine tourism to others. Price value appears to be the most significant influencing factor on intentions to both adopt and recommend vaccine tourism. Additionally, trust in the foreign healthcare system was positively associated with young travelers’ intention to recommend vaccine tourism to others. Theoretically, this research adds to the medical tourism literature, suggesting that, while trust is an important factor influencing the medical tourism decision, it appears to be insignificant in the context of vaccine tourism.

Case series: Psychosocial challenges of female youth within the Irish Travelling community.

The Irish Travelling community are an ethnic minority group known for their distinct identity, traditions and language. Although this group has its roots in Ireland, they are marginalised and discriminated against by every part of Irish society. Irish Travellers are a group who are vulnerable to exclusion and experience health, economic and educational inequalities. Young female Irish Travellers in Ireland are highly susceptible to mental illnesses which makes the engagement of this ethnic group by healthcare services important. To review the cases of three female adolescents from the Irish Travelling community living in Ireland with a focus on their psycho-social difficulties. Complete a literature review, to complement and inform the three cases reviewed, on the socio-cultural and mental health challenges which effect adolescent females in the Irish Travelling community. Case series with literature search and review of relevant published articles using a keyword search of databases PubMed, PsycINFO and HSE protocols and reports. Hand searching of relevant references utilised. Informed signed consent obtained from each patient attending child and adolescent services in Ireland. Signed parental consent also obtained. Written consent obtained due to the use of patient history and assessments in the case series. Adolescent females within the Irish Travelling community encounter particular difficulties within the moral constraints and expectations of this community. They encounter specific issues including mental illness, sexual stigma, domestic violence and limitations to the role of women. The three cases outlined give representative examples of the challenges faced by adolescent females within the Travelling community. Psychiatric services need to be aware of this vulnerable group and focus on the recognition of their needs within the context of their community.

Schistosoma haematobium infection with pulmonary involvement in a traveller returning from Congo: A case report and systematic review of literature on nodular pulmonary schistosomiasis

BackgroundSchistosomiasis is highly prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa and diagnosis is difficult for travel medicine practitioners, because it can affect different organs with atypical manifestations. S. haematobium is mostly associated with urinary involvement and rarely with pulmonary lesions. This review aims to summarise the pulmonary forms associated with schistosomiasis, especially with S. haematobium. MethodBased on a case report of both pulmonary and urogenital schistosomiasis, we performed a systematic literature review of schistosomiasis occurring in migrants and travellers, with a specific focus on pulmonary schistosomiasis. ResultsPulmonary schistosomiasis can present two different clinical patterns. On the one hand, there is an acute pattern, which more frequently affects non-immune young travellers within three to eight weeks of their return and, on the other hand, there is a chronic pattern, which has been evolving in recent years and which mostly affects people living in endemic areas or migrating from these countries. Nodular pulmonary lesions are described in both patterns. Genus identification should not focus only on known patterns, and identification of S. haematobium should not be associated exclusively with urinary schistosomiasis. ConclusionsPulmonary schistosomiasis, even when resulting from S. haematobium, is a rare but existing infection that appears to be spreading with increasing travel and global migration. Physicians need to be more aware of non-specific symptoms that may reveal an atypical presentation of a tropical disease, in order to avoid the chronic complications which can result from parasitic diseases.

Green meets social media: young travelers’ perceptions of hotel environmental sustainability

PurposeA competitive hospitality environment requires attracting new target markets. The purpose of this research is to investigate how young travelers’ intention to stay and electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) are impacted by a hotel’s environmental sustainability communications on social media.Design/methodology/approachThe data were collected from 306 participants via online survey and analyzed in SPSS and AMOS. Structural equation modeling was utilized for hypotheses testing.FindingsThe results support the use of social media marketing (SMM) by hotels to communicate sustainability efforts, increasing intentions to stay and expanding eWOM. Hospitality marketers can use these findings to better understand young travelers’ priorities and their information-gathering process when planning travel.Practical implicationsThe study revealed the positive relationship between travelers’ perceptions of hotel environmental sustainability and greater intention to stay and positive eWOM. This could lead to increased business and recommendations for hospitality companies from young consumers.Originality/valueThis study advances the understanding of how young customers respond to hotels’ efforts to promote environmental sustainability on social media. The findings add value to practitioners and academics in their understanding of how hospitality marketers can increase intention to stay and eWOM by marketing to young travelers about environmental sustainability on social media.

Travelers’ Adoption Behavior towards Electric Vehicles in Lahore, Pakistan: An Extension of Norm Activation Model (NAM) Theory

This study aims to identify the travelers’ adoption behavior towards electric vehicles (EVs) using the theoretical background of the Norm Activation Model (NAM) theory. A questionnaire was designed and conducted in Lahore, Pakistan. A total of 402 usable samples were obtained. The collected data were analyzed using factor analysis and Structural Equation Modeling methods. The factor analysis confirmed the hypothesis of the statements designed according to the NAM theory, that is, awareness of consequences (AC), ascription of responsibility (AR), and personal norm (PN). Other factor analyses resulted in the following reliable factors: social and economic values (SEV), personal preferences (PP), willingness to buy (Buy), and willingness to use (Use) of an EV. The results of SEM revealed that the AC, AR, and SEV are significant predictors of PN, whereas the PN and PP are also positive predictors of travelers’ willingness to buy and use. The young travelers (≤30 years), motorcycle users, employees, and trip distance (&gt;10 km) have significant and positive correlations with the PN. The car ownership status of travelers has a positive correlation with the ownership and usage of EVs. Suitable behavioral intervention techniques were derived to promote the ownership and usage of EVs in the context of developing regions.

Factors Affecting Outbound Tourism from Bangladesh: A Study on Young Bangladeshi Tourists

The aim of this study is to identify the factors for young Bangladeshi tourists to participate in outbound tourism. This study also attempted to create a young tourist profile. The target population for this study encompassed young Bangladeshi outbound travellers from 18 to 35 years old and who took at least one foreign tour. The questionnaire was formulated in the online survey development platform known as Google form and was distributed to the respondents. In total, 145 completed questionnaires were collected. To evaluate the responses of the respondents a five-point likert scale was used. This study used SPSS 26.0 to analyze the data. The results of the demographic characteristics of the respondents were analyzed by the frequency distribution and percentage. However, mean, standard deviation and ANOVA tests were employed to analyze the variables of this study. The survey results indicate that ‘for visiting and experiencing new places &amp; its culture’ and ‘for traveling with my friends’ are the most influencing motivations to travel among young Bangladeshi tourists: in the same time ‘lack of money’, ‘family responsibilities’ and, ‘mode of transportation’ are the most concerning factors for obstructing travel decisions for them. The other concerning limiting factors which can’t be overlooked are ‘safety and security concerns’ ‘accommodation availability’ and ‘lack of time for travel’. The findings of this study will help the business operator to formulate strategy and offer a suitable travel package for the young tourist market.

“Why call it tourist season if we can't shoot them?” – Towards the Utopian sensitized tourist

ABSTRACT This paper argues for increased awareness of local cultures through an educational approach, as it is explored in the CultSense project. The tourist experience is a multi-layered phenomenon moderated by a dynamic relationship with the places visited and local populations. A holistic approach to tourism tensions and challenges, as well as a more pro-active attitude from all stakeholders involved are important in finding strategic solutions. The project proposes an alternative approach, developing bottom-up initiatives that give a voice to local actors and develop global intercultural awareness for (young) travellers. The dissemination of methodological and pedagogical tools by third parties should add to the body of knowledge around sensitized forms of tourism, stimulating non-demeaning and non-patronising attitudes achieved through a grassroots approach.

The Effects of COVID-19 Risk Perception on Travel Intention: Evidence From Chinese Travelers.

This study attempts to assess the relationship between risk perception, risk knowledge, and travel intentions of Chinese leisure travelers during the COVID-19 pandemic in the framework of social contagion and risk communication theories by analyzing a sample of 1,209 travelers through structural equation modeling (SEM) and path analysis. We used the process macro of Hayes to analyze the moderation effects of age, gender, and education between risk perception, media and interpersonal communication, and risk knowledge. It was found that travelers were more concerned about self-efficacy than severity. Risk perception of travelers predicts the information-seeking process of tourists. This process helps travelers to accumulate risk information that influences their travel intentions. Travelers give more importance to interpersonal (contagion) communication in making a traveling decision. Demographic factors influence traveling decision-making; women travelers were found to be more risk resilient than men. Young travelers seek information at low- and old travelers at high-risk levels. Marketing implications also provided.