The impact of travel constraints on travel decision-making: A comparative approach of travel frequencies and intended travel participation

Abstract

Understanding the mechanism of vacation decision-making and the factors that influence pleasure travel behavior is crucial for tourism management and marketing. Past studies analyze the influence of constraints on travel behavior but neglect other relevant factors that influence travel behavior. This study develops a comparative research framework to estimate the individual impact of travel constraints on travel frequencies (short and long trips) and travel intentions while controlling for sociodemographic and travel-related determinants of travel behavior. Three research models are tested using a representative survey on German residents’ travel behavior (n = 7798). The results show that some determinants of vacation decision-making differ between long and short trips, implying a dual system of travel decision-making. Differences are also found for the impact of travel constraints on actual and intentional behavior (intention-behavior gap). A secondary finding is the strong positive impact of travel motivation and experience for travel frequencies and travel intention.