Travel Motivation: Linking Theory To Practice

Travel means the movement of people between relatively distant geographical locations for any purpose and any duration, with or without any means of transport. Travel also includes relatively short stays between successive movements. Movements between locations requiring only a few minutes are not considered as travel (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Travel). In other meaning, travel can be defined as a journey, a trip or a walk from one place to another place in great distance whether using any transport or without transport.

Travel can be for recreational purposes, for tourism, to visit people, for business or for commuting, and may occur for numerous other reasons, such as to obtain health care, migration, fleeing war, etc (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Travel). There are many purposes of travel such as to rest and relax, to meet friends and relatives, to visit and experience new places and also to having fun and enjoying the memorable moment.

The young tourist can be defined as youth or young generation or population that age between 16 to 30 years old. In advance, young tourists were neglected by researcher because of they were always being assumed same with the rest tourist population in terms of similarities. Pastor (1991,p.7) states that ‘for too long it has been imagined that young tourists are merely more naive versions of the adult tourist, and that their needs are the same as their elders’, but on a smaller, simpler less demanding scale to be considered, in a sense, as sub-requirements’. But, actually tourist population was separated in form of age, behavior and motivational factor. Instead, it is claimed that young tourists have a distinct identity, special interests and different needs which distinguish them from adult tourists (Ravon, 1991).

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This research topic was selected because we never known or never took concern about why people want to travel to overseas or in countries, what inspires them to travel and why they willing to spend their money and time merely just want to explore to other places. Furthermore, we do not have taken concern about the significant of travel, types of person that travel in context of age, behavior and inducement.

In addition, tourism industry now increasing quickly to develop and had large potential in order to be major contributor to national economy. At the same time, it can introduce the country to international era with distinctive country’s uniqueness whose can attract various type of tourist to tour. However, every interest or inducement to tour that occurs in tourists themselves are varying because there are various walks of age in tourist population. Hence, we want to study about the young tourists group on their difference of inducement and interest to tour with aged tourists group and what motivates them.

After I read all these journals, may be said that a little bit I can understand it and all the issues just now like answered. Especially, the significant or the importance of travel where it can be teaching us about the meaning of life satisfaction, open widest our mind to look the different corner of the world, know the cultural difference elsewhere which we might never known before and give us the experience to socialize and communicate with various type of people.

SUMMARY

Definition of motivation is general. There is various type of definition that can be used. According to Susan Velez (2008), motivation is the characteristic that is required in order to achieve anything in life; without it you will give up at the first sign of adversity. It is means to inspire and encourage a person to do their best towards something in their life. However, it is a slightly different with the definition of motivation in travel.

Travel Motivation: Linking Theory to Practice

For the first case study, travel motivation is a critical factor and a driving force behind tourist behavior (Crompton, 1979). The purpose of this study is to review the relevant literature on travel motivation and provides a scenario-based discussion on the applications of travel motivation theories in the industry practice (Huang and Hsu, 2009). This study was conducted by a comprehensive literature review on travel motivations that acknowledged the major theories. Two scenarios are presented and discussed by linking two motivation conceptual schemes, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory and Plog’s allocentrism/psychocentrism model, to practical issues in travel management (Huang and Hsu, 2009).

However, understanding tourists motivation merely imagination because it is very hard to understand different tourist’s need and wants from various age layer. It is closely related to the theory that applies in travel motivation with practices that theory into the real world. We need to study and understand totally the theory, only then we can fulfill tourist satisfaction according to age layer, their needs in travel, produce experience travel which meant for them and creating the repeat business.

Profiling Young Travelers’ Travel Behavior

According to Sung Chae (2009), the purpose of this study is to segment young travelers’ travel behavior on the basis of travel motivation. It is based on diverse needs and desires on the tourist attributes. Using oblique principal component cluster analysis, this study identified seven factors in travel motivation: Excitement, Tourist Attraction, New Experience, Relaxation, Atmosphere and Remembrance. The results indicate that the Korean young travelers’ travel behavior was varied between defined factors and different sets of socio-demographic and travel characteristics.

The information was gathered by giving the questionnaire to the subject of study. The young tourist more tend to choose vacation that give maximum pleasure, vacation to attracting places so that they would repeat the vacation to that same place, sense new experience that never felt before this, can give satisfaction of resting and relaxing without any interference and pressure, reposed in place that have atmosphere who can cause mood to revel and produce holiday that memorable forever and made as a sweet memory.

Travel Motivations and Destination Activities of Young Travelers of Different Ages: An Empirical Study in the United States

Several studies have investigated the differences in tourism and destination activities of different age groups of the travelers in the United States. Previous research studies suggest different segments of American travelers exist based upon generational groupings. The findings of the study, based upon 744 respondents, clearly identified two distinct segments of tourists in the age group of 18-23 and 24-30 in terms of travel motivation and destination activities. The results can be used by managers to improve the experience of these two distinct groups of young travelers (Michael, Dana and Dinesh, 2008). In this study, two groups of different age were focused which is generation X (born 1961-1981) and generation Y (born 1982-2000).

Through this study, found that both age group that having differences in terms of travel satisfaction, level of travel experience, motivations to travel and travel activities. After that, the result was produces where there are various factors that motivate them to travel and types of travel activities that they want. Some of the factors that motivate them to travel are the desire to travel foreign place, going to coast or island, having romantic holiday with beloved person, returning to place that we have gone before and want to spend time together with family and friends. Some types of travel activities is sightseeing, shopping, partying and celebrating and dining at special restaurant with good atmosphere and food.

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

Based on all research paper, can be deduced that there is tourist from various age layer, gender and standard of living. Through these research papers, a little bit can understand what motivate them to travel, which age group more like to travel and what types of place they like to take a trip. Especially young tourists, they expecting the vacations that gratify most maximum, like to gain new experience or try new materials, and they feel really fortunate if they can go travel to place that all this while they wish although lack of financial resources will be cultivated also. Unfortunately, mostly of young tourists group not emphasizing security matter when travel. Not many of them want a safety vacation such as old tourists.

Especially women, because they was barer to various type of danger and threat at night time. Therefore, as a suggestion, they should take several initiatives to prevent thing that did not want to happen. Tell your family and friends on about vacation, keep map when sightseeing, do not carrying goods worth, wearing right clothes such as locals, sensitive with environment or surrounding (especially woman), avoid from dark place and always bring some small tool to defend yourself.