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Why people travel to exotic places

Antónia Correia (Faculty of Economics, University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal)
Patricia Oom do Valle (Faculty of Economics, University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal)
Cláudia Moço (University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal)

International Journal of Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research

ISSN: 1750-6182

Article publication date: 3 April 2007

12752

Abstract

Purpose

This study focuses on the Portuguese tourist decision process in terms of traveling to exotic places. Based on the push‐pull motive model defined by Crompton in 1979, this paper seeks to propose an integrated approach to understand tourist motivations and how these contribute to the perception of a destination.

Design/methodology/approach

A structural model and a categorical principal component analysis are used to assess to what degree motivational factors may influence perceptions about a destination. The empirical study is supported through data from a sample of 1,097 individuals who travelled by plane to exotic places, during 2004.

Findings

The findings show that push and pull motivations influence the way tourists perceive the destination but the resulting image does not determined the intrinsic motivations.

Research limitations/implications

The study has the restriction of being limited to the Portuguese case. However, these findings open paths for further investigation, namely extending to other destinations and to tourists with different incentives and nationality.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the overall understanding of why tourists adopt specific behaviors. In specific, motivations and perceptions were combined in order to understand why people could be pushed to travel to exotic destinations and how they form their perceptions.

Keywords

Citation

Correia, A., Oom do Valle, P. and Moço, C. (2007), "Why people travel to exotic places", International Journal of Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research, Vol. 1 No. 1, pp. 45-61. https://doi.org/10.1108/17506180710729600

Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2007, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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