A scale development and validation on domestic tourists’ motivation: the case of second-tier tourism destinations

Abstract

The main purposes of this study are (1) to develop a scale for domestic tourism motivation that relates to second-tier domestic destinations and (2) to examine the structural relationships between travel motivation and the intention to visit these destinations. This study uses Thailand as a context for investigation and employs the mixed method approach to attain the study objectives. The empirical findings reveal that pride, price, tax deduction policy, attraction, local food, ego enhancement, and knowledge seeking exert a significant effect on the intention to visit second-tier cities. The study provides implications for tourism bureaus and service providers in enhancing attractiveness of the second-tier destinations.