Authors : Azilah Kasim, Christina Chi, Dogan Gursoy and Jayashree Srivanisan
Abstract: This study focuses on ecotourist’s travel motivations to Sabah a state in Borneo that is largely popular for ecotourism. It uses the ‘push-pull theory’ to understand why ecotourists travel. The methodology chosen for this study was on-site survey at selected ecotourism destinations in Sabah. Survey assistants approached potential respondents and assisted them to complete the questionnaires. The sample consisted of 254 of the targeted 599 respondents who completed the questionnaires. To determine the differences in travel motivation among participants according to their demographic background, independent sample t-test and one-way ANOVA were applied. Analysis showed one key finding, i.e., that the primary travel motivation for ecotourists to Sabah is not culture or nature as found for ecotourists in many previous studies but bonding, i.e., spending time with family and friends. Other important motivations include socialization, pleasure and species/wildlife sighting. The study ends with a discussion of both the theoretical and managerial implications of the findings.
Azilah Kasim, Christina Chi, Dogan Gursoy and Jayashree Srivanisan, 2016. Exploring Travel Motivation Within a South East Asian Ecotourism Context. The Social Sciences, 11: 7251-7257.