Travel career or childhood travel habit?

S. MacInnes, F. Ong and S. Dolnicar

Annals of Tourism Research, 2022, vol. 95, issue C

Abstract: 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.

Keywords: Tourism; Habit; Travel motivation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:anture:v:95:y:2022:i:c:s0160738322000640

DOI: 10.1016/j.annals.2022.103413

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