This study examined travel motivations of Chinese backpackers and classified Chinese backpackers according to their travel motivations and related demographics. The study identified four motivation factors driving Chinese backpacker travels: social interaction, self-actualization, destination experience and escape and relaxation. K-means cluster analysis further identified three distinct Chinese backpacker segments with different travel motivations: self-actualizers, destination experiencers and social seekers. Explanations and discussions within the background of China's ongoing tremendous social and economic transformation are also provided.Note: Cross-validation is carried out only for those cases in the analysis. In cross-validation, each case is classified by the functions derived from all cases other than that case; 93.5% of original grouped cases correctly classified; 93.5% of cross-validated grouped cases correctly classified.

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Backpacking travel has become a global trend among young people. Despite the importance of personal development among the youth, research has rarely probed the construct of backpackers’ personal development (BPD). The purpose of this study was to develop a scale to measure backpackers’ personal development. The study developed 30 measurement items to construct a survey instrument. The instrument was then administered to collect data from a sample of 397 Chinese backpackers. Following a rigorous process of scale development, a five-dimension ( Capability, Emotion, Worldview, Skill, and Self-consciousness) personal development model was identified. A refined scale consisting of 16 measurement items was finally derived meeting both reliability and validity requirements.

A B S T R A C TInternational tourism is highly susceptible to external political, economic and environmental crisis events. This paper consists of two studies. Study 1 uses time-series monthly data and the TRAMO/SEATS model to detect and estimate the impact of a range of political, economic and environmental crisis events on the tourist flows from China to Japan and South Korea during the period of 2005-2017. Study 2 uses in-depth interviews to investigate the factors intensifying or alleviating the negative impacts of these crisis events on tourism as well as factors contributing to post-events tourism recovery and growth. Results identify the varying levels of impacts caused by event type and other causative factors for negative impacts. The paper discusses the influence of these factors to provide references to relevant stakeholders for strategic planning, policy making and recovery and growth scheme development.

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This study aimed to offer a clear and up-to-date typology and profile of Chinese cultural tourists in mainland China following McKercher"s (2002) framework based on cultural centrality and depth of cultural experience. Using a sample of mainland Chinese tourists (n=656) at three cultural attractions in Guangzhou, China, a typology of Chinese cultural tourists (namely, casual, sightseeing, purposeful, serendipitous, and incidental) was developed and trip characteristics (e.g. prior knowledge, time spent to know the site before visit, change in knowledge, and on-site activities) and socio-demographics of each segment were also examined. In addition, slight differences are found between local day-trippers and tourists from outside Guangzhou in terms of their types and characteristics (prior knowledge, change in knowledge, and socio-demographics). Destination marketing and management implications are provided.

Taking stimuli-organism-response theory as a conceptual framework, this study advances theoretical understanding of the honeymoon tourism experience (HTE) by examining its empirical linkages with key constructs underlying the wider nomological network within which it is situated, including perceived destination attributes (PDAs), memorable tourism experiences (MTEs), emotions, overall satisfaction, and behavioral intentions. We adopted a sequential mixed-methods approach, in which a qualitative phase was followed by a quantitative phase of data collection and analysis (Study 1, n = 117; Study 2, n = 306). The results of partial least square path modeling revealed how PDAs drive honeymooners’ emotions and MTEs. Honeymooners’ emotions and MTEs were found to significantly influence their overall satisfaction, which further influenced their behavioral intentions. Mediation analysis highlighted emotions, MTEs, and overall satisfaction as significant mediators, suggesting their pertinence as factors in HTE. This study contributes to the literature by developing and testing a theoretically holistic model underlying HTE.