Social Psychological Theories of Tourist Motivation: Exploration, Debate, and Transition
The purpose of this article is to review and assess the dominant social psychological and related models of tourist motivation, reviewing the conceptual development of tourist motivation from the early 1970s to the present. Given the evolution of this debate, we argue that an integrated social psychological approach to tourist motivation has yet to be achieved. First, we provide a brief introduction to the social psychology of tourism. We then assess competing social psychological models of tourist motivation, concluding with implications for the development of an integrated social psychology of tourist motivation. Finally, we discuss lessons learned from the debates with implications for tourism theory and pedagogy.
Keywords: Tourism motivation; The social psychology of touri
Document Type: Research Article
Affiliations: 1: *Georgia Institute of Technology, Economic Development Institute, Tourism and Regional Assistance Centers (TRACS) 2: †Clemson University, Strom Thurmond Institute of Government and Public Affairs
Publication date: 01 January 2002
- Established in 1996, Tourism Analysis is an interdisciplinary journal that provides a platform for exchanging ideas and research in tourism and related fields. The journal aims to publish articles that explore a broad range of research subjects, including, but not limited to, the social, economic, cultural, environmental, and psychological aspects of tourism, consumer behavior in tourism, sustainable and responsible tourism, and effective operations, marketing, and management.
Tourism Analysis focuses on both theoretical and applied research and strives to promote innovative approaches to understanding the complex and dynamic nature of tourism, its stakeholders, businesses, and its effects on society. The journal welcomes articles on innovative research topics and methodologies beyond the traditional theory-testing sciences, such as robotics, computational sciences, and data analytics.
Our primary goal is to contribute to the development and advancement of new knowledge in tourism while fostering critical reflections and debates on the radical changes and evolution in tourism among scholars, practitioners, policymakers, and other stakeholders.
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