THE EMERGENCE OF A NEW RELIGIOUS TRAVEL SEGMENT: UMRAH DO IT YOURSELF TRAVELLERS (DIY)

This research examines the rise of a new religious travel segment – the Umrah Do It Yourself (DIY) travellers. While Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam, Umrah is a minor Muslim pilgrimage that can be undertaken at any time of the year, while still playing a crucial role in the completion of Hajj rituals. In the past, Umrah was managed by an authorised travel agent, who makes all the necessary pilgrimage preparations, from flights to trip itineraries. Recent years have seen an upsurge in travellers who prefer not to utilise the services of such agencies, but instead, to make their own arrangements. The decision by the Saudi Arabian government to launch a Tourist e-Visa in September 2019 has opened a window of opportunity for the legalization of Umrah DIY journeys. The objectives of this study are (i) to explore the travel motives that contribute to the success of the Umrah DIY, and (ii) to explore the factors that support and facilitate the decision for the Umrah DIY. The data were obtained via 20 semi-structured interviews with Umrah DIY travellers. The findings show that flexibility, spirituality, and budget have a crucial impact on travel motivation. Additionally, the findings suggest that information sources, travel quality, companionship/new friendship, and familiarity facilitate the choice of Umrah DIY travel. This research contributes to the growing scholarship on the Muslim travel market beyond Hajj and to studies on independent religious travel. Findings provide an opportunity for suppliers and industry participants to understand the travel motives of this new segment as a basis for producing relevant religious tourism products and services.

The motivation of the Chinese post-90s generation for travelling abroad

<p>There is well-documented research on tourism motivation in tourism literature. But till now, there is limited research of tourist motivation on Chinese youth travel group, who is so-called the Chinese post-90s generation. They are unique compared to other generations in China and has gradually been a group that received great public attention. Their thoughts and behaviours are bearing the brand of the Chinese era and also showing the characteristics of the modern Chinese generation. Therefore, this study based on the Chinese social background investigates Chinese youth tourists’ motivation for travelling abroad, focusing on the Chinese post-90s generation. In this study, a questionnaire survey was conducted among Chinese post-90s generation who came from major cities in China and had at least one or more overseas experiences. The research finds that the important motivational factors influencing the Chinese post-90s generation’s overseas travel include: self-development and relationship; novelty; escape and relaxation. Besides, this research finds that social variables which reflect China’s social changes have significant impacts on the Chinese youth tourists’ overseas travel motivation. These findings not only complement the deficiencies of the existing research on the tourist motivation of Chinese travellers but also provide important reference about Chinese youth tourism for tourism marketers and stakeholders who will deal with this potential tourism market.</p>

The motivation of the Chinese post-90s generation for travelling abroad

<p>There is well-documented research on tourism motivation in tourism literature. But till now, there is limited research of tourist motivation on Chinese youth travel group, who is so-called the Chinese post-90s generation. They are unique compared to other generations in China and has gradually been a group that received great public attention. Their thoughts and behaviours are bearing the brand of the Chinese era and also showing the characteristics of the modern Chinese generation. Therefore, this study based on the Chinese social background investigates Chinese youth tourists’ motivation for travelling abroad, focusing on the Chinese post-90s generation. In this study, a questionnaire survey was conducted among Chinese post-90s generation who came from major cities in China and had at least one or more overseas experiences. The research finds that the important motivational factors influencing the Chinese post-90s generation’s overseas travel include: self-development and relationship; novelty; escape and relaxation. Besides, this research finds that social variables which reflect China’s social changes have significant impacts on the Chinese youth tourists’ overseas travel motivation. These findings not only complement the deficiencies of the existing research on the tourist motivation of Chinese travellers but also provide important reference about Chinese youth tourism for tourism marketers and stakeholders who will deal with this potential tourism market.</p>

A fine line between red and dark: Anti-communist film-induced tourism

This study explores the ‘30 September Movement’ that staged a communist coup in 1965 as travel motivation for an anti-communism museum. ‘Framing’ and ‘uses and gratifications’ theories were used for this case study. The findings concluded that negative film plots and scenes are signature themes that can be used as attributes of red or dark film motivations for tourism. The use of theories, such as ‘framing’ and ‘uses and gratifications’, along with reflexive thematic analysis has provided unique and valuable theoretical insights that may be overlooked by other analyses.

Factors Behind Tourists’ Travel Motivation: The Case of the Gilan Region, Iran

This research aims to identify the pull and push factors that are effective for tourists travelling to Gilan province and classifying their motivations into key factors. Data were collected using a questionnaire. A total of 20 motives, including 11 push factors and 9 pull factors, were investigated. The sample size of the study was 390 people. For data analysis, single-sample t-test and factor analysis were used. The results showed that the average total pull motive was greater than the push motive. Motives were divided into three main factors: ‘nature-based tourism and spiritual regeneration’, ‘place dependency and the purchase of agricultural products’ and ‘lifestyle’. It should be noted that the ‘nature-based tourism and spiritual regeneration’ was found to be the most important factor for travelling to Gilan province.

Contribution of TV Dramas and Movies in Strengthening Sustainable Tourism

This study aims to (a) identify the relationship between travel motivation and popular media (mainly films or TV programs), (b) examine the relationship between destination images and popular media as an information source, and (c) investigate the influence of popular media on destination’s decision-making process. The relationship is focused on three aspects: motivation, destination image, and the decision-making process for tourists. This study employed a self-administered questionnaire survey. The questionnaire was composed of (i) respondents’ motivation and general information about their visit to the destination (Jeju Island in Korea), (ii) attributes of the film-induced tourism of their visit to the destination, and (iii) respondents’ socio-demographic elements. A correlation analysis and a standard multiple regression analysis were employed. The results discovered that there is a significant relationship (a) between a destination and popular media, (b) between destination image and popular media, and (c) between the decision-making process and popular media. The implications of this study can help destination marketers and managers build competitive strategies using the effective management of film-related tourist attraction sites to increase visitor numbers and ensure that a sustainable long-term relationship is encouraged between destinations and tourists.