The different shades of responsibility: Examining domestic and international travelers' motivations for responsible tourism in India

• Limited research on the demand side of responsible tourism: the consumer
• Dann's push–pull typology helps understand motivations for responsible tourism.
• Factor analysis uncovers nine underlying motivation factors.
• Domestic and international travelers have different core motivations.
• Three clusters are identified: Responsibles, Novelty Seekers, and Socializers.

To address the scarcity of research concerning the demand side of responsible tourism, the present study examines the motivations of domestic and international travelers in India. Data were collected using an Internet survey distributed via e-mail and Facebook to the clients of five responsible tourism operators in India. Using Dann's push–pull typology, factor analysis uncovered nine underlying motivations for responsible tourism, with significant differences between domestic and international travelers for these factors. Cluster analysis revealed three distinct segments of travelers – Responsibles, Novelty Seekers, and Socializers – that differ in their core underlying motivations for responsible tourism and in their socio-demographic characteristics. The study contributes one responsibility-specific push and one pull factor to the literature about travel motivation. Also the findings suggest that operators and destination marketers must develop their products and marketing communications to address the heterogeneity of motivations underlying responsible tourism.