Serious leisure as a predictor of travel intentions and flow in motorcycle tourism

ABSTRACT

The current study uses structural equation modelling to examine the relationships between serious leisure, the flow state, and travel intentions among motorcycle tourists. Serious leisure contrasts with casual leisure in that its participants are more committed to their pursuit, which can result in a more sustained benefit, achievement of a flow state, and enhance intention toward future travel. The findings reveal one's serious leisure orientation predicted their durable benefits, which then produced a positive relationship with flow and travel intentions. However, flow did not mediate the relationship between durable benefits and travel intentions, as hypothesised. This research provides empirical evidence of the value of using the serious leisure construct to capture the multi-faceted and complex experience that is motorcycle tourism and can augment comprehension of other high involvement tourism markets.

KEYWORDS:

• Serious leisure
• flow state
• travel intention
• motorcycle tourism

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Robert E. Frash completed his PhD in Hospitality and Tourism Management at Purdue University in 2004 after a 30-year career in foodservice. He is currently an associate professor in the Department of Hospitality & Tourism Management at the College of Charleston, Charleston, SC, USA. Frash’s research examines social-psychological consumer motivations and behaviour. He is an Honorary Commander for the United States Air Force. Frash is an avid adventure motorcyclist.

Julia E. Blose received her PhD from Florida State University. She is currently an associate professor of marketing in the Department of Management and Marketing in the School of Business at the College of Charleston. Her research is primarily in the areas of consumer behaviour, marketing communication and quantitative methods.