Modeling the travel motivation of Mainland Chinese outbound tourists

Mimi Li, Purdue University

Abstract

The purpose of the study is two-fold. First, in addressing the lack of knowledge of the interrelationships between motivation and other consumer behavioral constructs in tourism literature, this study develops and empirically tests a conceptual model of travel motivation. The model delineates the formation of travel motivation and its subsequent consequences. Three antecedents and three consequences are identified through an extensive review of literature and synthesis of empirical findings in tourism marketing, psychology, and consumer behavior. The three antecedents are personal value, previous travel experience, and expectation. The three consequences are attitude, satisfaction, and behavioral intention. The second purpose is to advance the understanding of the new yet booming Chinese outbound market. This study examines Chinese outbound tourists' demographic and trip-related characteristics, their motivation and inhibitor of outbound travel, attitude toward and satisfaction with the destinations, and future behavioral intentions using data collected from a consumer survey in 2007. The major findings from this study includes: (1) visitors' personal value influences their expectation and motivation of their outbound travel; (2) visitors' previous travel experience has no influences on their motivation and future behavioral intention; (3) visitors' expectation significantly influences their motivation of travel and attitude toward the destination; (4) visitors' attitude toward destination is influenced by the relationship strengthening dimension of motivation; (5) visitors' satisfaction and behavioral intention is influenced by the novelty and knowledge dimension of their travel motivation; (6) visitors' attitude toward destination has impact on their satisfaction and behavioral intention; and (7) visitors' future behavioral intention is influenced by their satisfaction with the destination. Chinese outbound tourists are mostly motivated by the desire of relationship strengthening, novelty and knowledge, and prestige and luxury experiences. China outbound market can be divided into five segments based on visitors' travel motivation. The study profiles each segment in terms of their demographic and trip-related characteristics, travel barriers, attitude, satisfaction and behavioral intention. The study contributes to the literature on travel motivation by relating to the constructs of antecedents and consequences. Its findings inform the global tourism industry of the travel motivation of the Chinese outbound tourists that are uniquely attributable to their cultural roots. These findings, in conjunction with the five-segment typology, are of timely and pragmatic value to an increasing number of destination countries and regions as they strive to understand and appeal to an awakening giant market which, until recently, has not been as duly explored.

Degree

Ph.D.

Advisors

Cai, Purdue University.

Subject Area

Marketing|Recreation

COinS