Does travel interest mediate between motives and intention to travel? A case of young Asian travellers

The rising income level of the middle class in Thailand has also raised the disposable income and interest to visit tourism destinations abroad. In last seven years the number of outbound tourists has doubled suggesting a growth rate of 15% per annum. With a population of approximately 63 million and a change in perception of the Thai people that travelling is no longer a luxury but a beneficial and productive activity has given boost to the outbound tourism. This study adapts the Leisure Motivation Scale to determine travel motives of young Thai university students towards holidaying. A conceptual model with seven hypotheses is proposed which tests the relationship of constructs experiencing new culture, scenic values and adventure with travel interest and the impact of travel interest on intention to travel. Structural Equation Modelling with maximum likelihood method is used to test all relationships simultaneously from the 420 responses using Amos 20.0. The findings suggest that experiencing new culture, scenic values and adventure are positively related to travel interest. Further, findings suggest a positive relationship between the travel interest and the intention to travel. Travel interest plays a mediating role between the motives and the intention to travel. The outcomes from the study are unique in relation to travel motives of the young Thai market segment generally, and in relations to experiencing new culture, natural beauty and adventure specifically. On the theoretical front the study has adapted the Leisure Motivation Scale to develop and test constructs through a proposed theoretical model. Considering this from a marketing point of view, exploring new markets is the key for all destination marketers to sustain economic gains from tourism, the current study adds information about an unexplored market segment. Hence, suggesting implications for destination marketers to get to know about this new emerging market segment.