Exploring the Travel Motivations and Behaviors of Educational Tourists: A Study of Mainland Chinese Students in New Zealand

ABSTRACT

Chinese international students constitute the largest international student market in New Zealand, and this market seems set to increase in the future. This study investigated Mainland Chinese international students’ push and pull motivations and behavior when traveling in New Zealand. Respondents’ demographic characteristics were analyzed to discover the differences of their travel motivations and behaviors. A questionnaire survey method was employed as the research instrument. A total of 267 valid questionnaires were used for data analysis. The findings revealed that the main push factors motivating Chinese international students were ‘Human relationships and entertainment’ and ‘Escape and relaxation.’ Conversely, the core pull factors were ‘Accessibility’ and ‘Hospitality.’ The research also discovered that several motivation factors can vary according to demographic characteristics. In terms of travel behavior, most Chinese students prefer to travel with friends and family, travel for a short period of time, obtain travel information from the Internet, travel by individual vehicle and public transport, and choose to stay in hotels. Travel behavior also varied according to respondents’ demographic characteristics. This study has contributed to the academic knowledge regarding international students’ motivation and behavior while traveling and offers valuable insights for tourism marketers and operators.

摘要

中国的国际学生构成了新西兰最大的国际学生市场, 并且这个市场将来似乎还会增长。本研究调查了中国大陆留学生在新西兰旅行的推拉动机和行为。采用问卷调查法, 作者对267份有效问卷做了数据分析。调查结果表明, 激励中国留学生在新西兰旅行的主要推动因素是‘人际关系与娱乐’和‘远离日常生活与放松’; 核心拉动因素包括‘目的地方便性’和‘当地人的热情好客’。研究还发现, 动机因素会根据个人特征而有所差异。在旅行行为方面, 大多数中国学生更喜欢与朋友和家人一起旅行, 选择短途旅行, 从互联网上获取旅行信息, 乘坐私家车和公共交通工具旅行, 以及选择入住酒店。旅行行为也因受访者的个人特征而异。本研究为国际学生在旅行中的动机和行为方面的学术知识做出了贡献, 并为旅游营销人员和经营者提供了宝贵的见解。

KEYWORDS:

• Chinese students
• New Zealand
• travel motivation
• travel behavior
• push and pull theory

关键词:

• 中国学生
• 新西兰
• 旅行动机
• 旅行行为
• 推拉理论

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Mao-Tang Lin

Mao-Tang Lin, PhD student, School of Hospitality and Tourism, Auckland University of Technology; Research interests: sustainable tourism, tourism marketing, persuasive communication, and tourist motivation and behaviour.

Claire Liu

Dr Claire Liu, Senior lecturer, School of Hospitality and Tourism, Auckland University of Technology, 55 Wellesley Street East, Auckland CBD, New Zealand; Research interests: Chinese tourist behaviours, sustainable tourism, tourism and hospitality education, and entrepreneurship.