title: Cross-Cultural Consumer Perceptions and Behavioural Intentions towards Adventure Tourism
Creators: name: Janowski, Ingo M
Publisher: name: Griffith University
Year: 2022
Subjects: subject: Adventure Tourism
subject: Cross-Cultural Consumer
subject: Behavioural Intentions

description: Adventure tourism is considered a cornerstone of the tourism industry by the World Tourism Organisation and has experienced rapid growth prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. This growth was facilitated by ever more diversified consumer demand for adventure tourism, with a fusion of traditional Western markets and emerging Eastern markets that increasingly seek active outdoor experiences. Due to their nature-based location, adventure tourism experiences are expected to also be in high demand as part of the recovery of international travel from the pandemic. Yet, research that examines consumers’ adventure tourism perceptions, intentions, and influencing factors on their decision-making across cultures remains scarce. This study addresses these gaps, focusing on youth consumers due to their high importance for the global tourism industry and their ability to shape the behaviour of future generations of travellers. The Chinese youth market, which is compared to the Australian and German youth markets, is this study’s primary focus. Specifically, this study investigates four antecedents to youth consumers’ intention to participate in adventure tourism across cultures. These antecedents encompass (1) the youth consumers’ perceptions of adventure tourism, comprised of associated dimensions and attitudes towards those dimensions, (2) factors that drive intention, (3) potential barriers to intention, and (4) cultural traits that moderate these perceptions, drivers, and barriers. First, this study reviews the literature systematically to conceptualise adventure tourism. The derived framework highlights 22 dimensions of adventure tourism, differentiated into consumer-based, product-based, and hybrid pillars. Given the intent of this study to investigate influences on behavioural intention, this study then employs the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) as a theoretical basis to guide empirical data iii collection. The TPB is a well-established theory on consumer behaviour and tourism literature. Study 1 consists of focus group discussions (N=24) and Study II of individual online interviews (N=67). Combinedly, they investigate the sample cultures of mainland China (n=34), Australia (n=37), and Germany (n=20). A pre-interview survey and a photo-elicitation activity - that incorporates six diverse adventure tourism activities - further support data collection and assist in identifying youth consumers’ adventure tourism perceptions, drivers and barriers to intention, and respective underlying cultural moderating factors. Findings show that youth consumers across all cultures perceive adventure tourism as physically and/or mentally challenging tourism activities in nature that provide a sense of novelty, excitement, enjoyment, and, occasionally, risk. Youth consumer attitudes towards these various elements are predominantly positive across all cultures. Immersion and interaction with the natural environment and novelty of the adventure activity and its setting are highly sought after. Cultural discrepancies are most evident in the risk dimension. Chinese youth consumers are highly risk-avoidant and value safety, while the risk tolerance of Australians and Germans is higher. Chinese are also more concerned about self-efficacy and overly physical challenge than Australians and Germans. Previous travel and outdoor activity experience, the influence of friends, and the COVID-19 pandemic drive adventure tourism intention across cultures. Chinese decision-making is also highly influenced and driven by various online channels, both pre and post-adventure. Their inspiration and intention habitually derives from online content consumption and is further solidified through in-depth online research of their adventure activity of interest. Post experience, Chinese seek self-promotion through the online sharing of their adventure experience. Spontaneous opportunity for adventure in the iv destination drives Australian and German intention, yet, is not driving Chinese intention due to different decision-making processes which are explained in the study. Group sizes of more than six, the high cost of some activities, and a lack of time impede youth consumers’ adventure tourism intentions across cultures. Moreover, limited trustworthiness towards the adventure operator in the destination - based on first impressions of the shop, equipment, and staff - poses a barrier for the Australian and German markets. Contrariwise, a lack of opportunity to conduct adventure tourism is a barrier for Chinese consumers. National and family cultures moderate youth consumers’ adventure tourism perceptions, drivers, barriers, and thus their intentions. Overall, Australian culture is adventure-inclined, German culture adventure-receptive, and Chinese culture adventure-reluctant. Despite this, Chinese youth consumers are highly interested in adventure tourism and surprisingly independent in their decision-making. The study, therefore, proposes differentiated and direct targeted marketing to Chinese youth consumers that implements the various learnings that emerge from this research. The findings of this study significantly contribute to the body of knowledge of adventure tourism, youth consumer behaviour and, specifically, the influence of culture on intention to participate in adventure tourism. This research has developed a comprehensive academic conceptualisation of adventure tourism and makes a further theoretical contribution through identifying six determinants of tourist behaviour, building upon the TPB. These determinants include the tourist’s perception of the tourism activity, cognitive/affective drivers and barriers, third party perceptions, the ability to perform the tourism activity, previous experience, and spontaneous decision-making. Practically, this research informs tourism providers seeking to attract youth consumers of different cultural backgrounds, particularly in an adventure tourism context. Findings advocate for v a marketing and product design approach that considers consumers’ culturally diverse values, attitudes, and behaviours.