MOTORCYCLE TOURISM AND NATURE: an analysis of motorcyclists´ motivations to travel

ABSTRACT

Motorcycling is not a new experience; however, research about this phenomenon in the tourism context is relatively incipient and limited to specific places and groups. In the tourism literature, the characteristics of this activity and its practitioners also require closer inspection. Unlike other forms of tourism, motivation for motorcycling, in the context of adventure and ecotourism, is not yet well defined and delimited. The main objective of this work is to fill the knowledge gap regarding motorcyclists’ motivations to tour and to evaluate the activity from the perspective of adventure and ecotourism. Motivations for adventure and ecotourism serve as the theoretical and methodological support for this research. The results of this study revealed that the experience during a motorcycle trip is as exciting as the destination itself, transforming a journey into a destination on the move. The main interests of motorcycle tourists include the natural environment and the local culture. Finally, structural modelling confirms that these two constructs emerge as the main concepts associated with motorcycle tourism.

KEYWORDS:

• Motorcycling
• motorcycle tourism
• adventure tourism
• ecotourism
• motorcycle touring motivations
• leisure activities

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES - Brazil). Bolsista da Capes Prosuc e do Programa de Doutorado Sanduíche no Exterior / Processo nº {88881.134585/2016-01}.

Notes on contributors

Carlos Eduardo Almeida Ramoa

Dr. Carlos Eduardo Almeida Ramoa is a lecturer and researcher in the Business School, Post-Graduate Programme in Administration, in the Research Group in Sustainability and Management (GESeG) at University of Vale do Itajaí (Univali), Brazil. His research is interdisciplinary and focuses on management, sustainable development, strategy and consumer behaviour in business and tourism studies.

Paulo Santos Pires

Dr. Paulo Santos Pires is a lecturer and researcher in the Post-graduate Programme in Tourism and Hotel Management (PPTH) – Research Group for Tourism, Hospitality and Gastronomy (THG). His research focuses on natural environment - ecotourism and adventure tourism studies.

Edar Silva Añaña

Dr. Edar Silva Añaña is a lecturer and researcher in the Post-Graduate Programme in Administration at Federal University of Pelotas, Brazil. His research is interdisciplinary and focuses on consumer behaviour and the image and competitiveness in tourism studies.