This research investigates the effects of family tourism on family bonding and the physical and mental development of children, specifically focusing on the travel motivation of families with adolescents. Despite its significance, the antecedents and internal mechanisms driving this motivation remain unclear. To address this gap, we employed an interpretive sequential hybrid approach across two interconnected studies. Grounded in family systems theory, Study 1 examines the direct influence of parent-child bonds on family travel motivation, as well as the indirect effect through adolescents’ self-differentiation. Study 2 further explores the complex interplay between parent-child relationships, adolescents’ self-differentiation, and family travel motivation. Our findings emphasize the critical role of self-differentiation as an intermediary factor in shaping travel motivation, contributing valuable insights to both family tourism literature and practical applications.
AihuiD. (2024). Family interaction patterns among adult children and divorced parents according to Bowen’s family system theory: A case study of a Chinese family in China. The Malaysian Journal of Social Administration, 18(2), 90–109.
2.
Al-YagonM. (2011). Adolescents’ subtypes of attachment security with fathers and mothers and self-perceptions of socioemotional adjustment. Psychology, 02(04), 291–299.
3.
AmaniM.ShariatipourA. (2021). Comparison of self-differentiation and identity statuses in twins and nontwins. Twin Research and Human Genetics: the Official Journal of the International Society for Twin Studies, 24(3), 176–183. https://doi.org/10.1017/thg.2021.28
4.
ArmsdenG. C.GreenbergM. T. (1987). The inventory of parent and peer attachment: Individual differences and their relationship to psychological well-being in adolescence. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 16(5), 427–454. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02202939
5.
AzizY. A.HussinS. R.NezakatiH.Raja YusofR. N.HashimH. (2018). The effect of socio-demographic variables and travel characteristics on motivation of Muslim family tourists in Malaysia. Journal of Islamic Marketing, 9(2), 222–239.
6.
BeardJ. G.RaghebM. G. (1983). Measuring leisure motivation. Journal of Leisure Research, 15(3), 219–228.
7.
BorchetJ.Lewandowska-WalterA.RostowskaT. (2016). Parentification in late adolescence and selected features of the family system. Health Psychology Report, 4(2), 116–127.
8.
BortzP.BerriganM.VanBergenA.GavazziS. M. (2019). Family systems thinking as a guide for theory integration: Conceptual overlaps of differentiation, attachment, parenting style, and identity development in families with adolescents. Journal of Family Theory & Review, 11(4), 544–560.
9.
BowenM. (1976). Theory in the practice of psychotherapy. Psychotherapy, 4(1), 2–90.
10.
BowlbyJ. (1973). Attachment and Loss. Vol. 2: Separation, anxiety and anger. Basic Books.
11.
CalatravaM.MartinsM. V.Schweer-CollinsM.Duch-CeballosC.Rodríguez-GonzálezM. (2022). Differentiation of self: A scoping review of Bowen family systems theory’s core construct. Clinical Psychology Review, 91, 102101.
CaoJ.AnQ. (2018). Effects of peer relationships on parent–youth relationships and self-differentiation. International Journal of Psychology and Educational Studies, 5(3), 14–22.
14.
CarrN. (2006). A comparison of adolescents’ and parents’ holiday motivations and desires. Tourism and Hospitality Research, 6(2), 129–142.
15.
CasasF. (2014). Parent-child relationship(s). In Encyclopedia of quality of life and well-being research (Vol. 6, pp. 4600–4603). Springer Netherlands.
16.
CharmazK. (2006). Constructing grounded theory: A practical guide through qualitative analysis. Sage.
17.
CharmazK.BelgraveL. L. (2019). Thinking about data with grounded theory. Qualitative Inquiry, 25(8), 743–753.
18.
ChiangY. C.SuC. J.LiaoH. H.ChaudharyM.LanY. F. (2022). Children’s dominance in family vacation decision-making (FVDM): A multi-national analysis. Tourism Review, 77(3), 796–814.
19.
China Tourism Association. (2021, July15). “China parent-child cultural travel industry development report (2021)” released [Online forum comment]. https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/UcdghxQMh80eV-cFHB4gNg
20.
ChoiS. W.MurdockN. L. (2017). Differentiation of self, interpersonal conflict, and depression: The mediating role of anger expression. Contemporary Family Therapy, 39(1), 21–30. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10591-016-9397-3
21.
ChungH.GaleJ. (2009). Family functioning and self-differentiation: A cross-cultural examination. Contemporary Family Therapy, 31(1), 19–33. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10591-008-9080-4
22.
CiceroL.OstiL. (2018). Guest editorial. Young Consumers, 19(2), 121–126.
23.
CreswellJ. W.ClarkV. L. P. (Eds.). (2017). Designing and conducting mixed methods research (3rd ed.). Sage.
24.
CreswellJ. W.PothC. N. (Eds.). (2016). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (4th ed.). Sage.
25.
CromptonJ. L. (1981). Dimensions of the social group role in pleasure vacations. Annals of Tourism Research, 8(4), 550–568.
26.
DannG. M. S. (1977). Anomie, ego-enhancement and tourism. Annals of Tourism Research, 4(4), 184–194.
27.
DashG.PaulJ. (2021). CB-SEM vs PLS-SEM methods for research in social sciences and technology forecasting. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 173, 121092.
28.
DellP. F. (1982). Beyond homeostasis: Toward a concept of coherence. Family Process, 21(1), 21–41.
29.
DobewallH.HakulinenC.Keltikangas-JärvinenL.Pulkki-RåbackL.SeppäläI.LehtimäkiT.RaitakariO. T.HintsanenM. (2018). Oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) variant rs1042778 moderates the influence of family environment on changes in perceived social support over time. Journal of Affective Disorders, 235, 480–488.
30.
EisenbergN.HoferC.SpinradT. L.GershoffE. T.ValienteC.LosoyaS.DarlingN. (2008). Understanding mother-adolescent conflict discussions: Concurrent and across-time prediction from youths’ dispositions and parenting. Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, 73(2), 1–175.
31.
FaulksP.RitchieB.DoddJ. (2008). Bicycle tourism as an opportunity for re-creation and restoration? Investigating the motivations of bike ride participants. New Zealand Tourism and Hospitality Research Conference (pp. 1–27).
32.
FeilzerM.Y. (2010). Doing mixed methods research pragmatically: Implications for the rediscovery of pragmatism as a research paradigm. Journal of mixed methods research, 4(1), 6–16. https://doi.org/10.1177/15586898093496
33.
F. HairJ.JrSarstedtM.HopkinsL.G. KuppelwieserV. (2014). Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM): An emerging tool in business research. European Business Review, 26(2), 106–121.
34.
FinklesteinM.Pagorek-EshelS.LauferA. (2022). Adolescents’ individual resilience and its association with security threats, anxiety and family resilience. Journal of Family Studies, 28(3), 1023–1039. https://doi.org/10.1080/13229400.2020.1778504
35.
FivushR.BerlinL. J.SalesJ. M.Mennuti-WashburnJ.CassidyJ. (2003). Functions of parent-child reminiscing about emotionally negative events. Memory, 11(2), 179–192.
FornellC.LarckerD. F. (1981). Evaluating structural equation models with unobservable variables and measurement error. Journal of Marketing Research, 18(1), 39–50. https://doi.org/10.2307/3151312
38.
FreemanH.AlmondT. (2009). Predicting adolescent self differentiation from relationships with parents and romantic partners. International Journal of Adolescence and Youth, 15(1-2), 121–143.
FuX.HuangZ. J.LiQ.KirillovaK. (2020). Dissecting Chinese adolescents’ overseas educational travel experiences: Movements, representations and practices. In CooperC.Michael HallC. (Eds.), Current issues in Asian tourism (pp. 14–35). Routledge.
41.
FuX.LehtoX.ParkO. (2014). What does vacation do to our family? Contrasting the perspectives of parents and children. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 31(4), 461–475.
42.
FuX.LiuX.LiH.WangY.LiZ. (2022). Creating a balanced family travel experience: A perspective from the motivation-activities-transformative learning chain. Tourism Management Perspectives, 41, 100941.
43.
GaoM.PotwarkaL. (2021). Investigating the role of family travel and family functioning in promoting Chinese adolescents’ subjective wellbeing. Journal of Leisure Research, 52(4), 487–507.
44.
GaoQ.SunR.FuE.JiaG.XiangY. (2020). Parent-child relationship and smartphone use disorder among Chinese adolescents: The mediating role of quality of life and the moderating role of educational level. Addictive Behaviors, 101, 106065.
45.
GramM. (2005). Family holidays: A qualitative analysis of family holiday experiences. Scandinavian Journal of Hospitality and Tourism, 5(1), 2–22.
46.
GrossJ. T.CassidyJ. (2019). Expressive suppression of negative emotions in children and adolescents: Theory, data, and a guide for future research. Developmental Psychology, 55(9), 1938–1950.
47.
GrychJ. H.RaynorS. R.FoscoG. M. (2004). Family processes that shape the impact of interparental conflict on adolescents. Development and Psychopathology, 16(3), 649–665.
48.
HilbrechtM.ShawS. M.DelamereF. M.HavitzM. E. (2008). Experiences, perspectives, and meanings of family vacations for children. Leisure/Loisir, 32(2), 541–571.
49.
HsuC. H. C.CaiL. A.WongK. K. F. (2007). A model of senior tourism motivations—Anecdotes from Beijing and Shanghai. Tourism Management, 28(5), 1262–1273. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2006.09.015
50.
HuffmanL. E.WilsonD. K.Van HornM. L.PateR. R. (2018). Associations between parenting factors, motivation, and physical activity in overweight African American adolescents. Annals of Behavioral Medicine: A Publication of the Society of Behavioral Medicine, 52(2), 93–105. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12160-017-9919-8
51.
HuJ.OuC.XuX.ChenC.CaoX. (2024). Impact of family interaction on future adult child-parent travel intention: Implementing the McMaster model of family functioning. Journal of Travel Research. 00472875231222839. https://doi.org/10.1177/00472875231222839
52.
JepsonA.StadlerR.SpencerN. (2019). Making positive family memories together and improving quality-of-life through thick sociality and bonding at local community festivals and events. Tourism Management, 75, 34–50. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2019.05.001
53.
JiaG.YaoY.FanD. X. F. (2024). Value co-creation and co-destruction through adult child–parent interactions during family vacations: Scale development and validation. Journal of Travel Research. 00472875241231271. https://doi.org/10.1177/00472875241231271
54.
JiangY.TaoB.LuT.YanJ. (2023). Challenges and countermeasures of China’s research on “sports promoting adolescent socialization”-data mining based on Weibo and CNKI. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1123712. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1123712
55.
KellyJ. R. (1983). Leisure identities and interactions. Wall and Thompson.
56.
Kennedy-EdenH.GretzelU. (2016). Modern vacations – modern families: New meanings and structures of family vacations. Annals of Leisure Research, 19(4), 461–478. https://doi.org/10.1080/11745398.2016.1178152
Khoo-LattimoreC. (2015). Kids on board: Methodological challenges, concerns and clarifications when including young children’s voices in tourism research. Current Issues in Tourism, 18(9), 845–858. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2015.1049129
59.
KidronC. A. (2013). Being there together: Dark family tourism and the emotive experience of co-presence in the holocaust past. Annals of Tourism Research, 41, 175–194. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2012.12.009
60.
KimS.LehtoX. Y. (2013). Travel by families with children possessing disabilities: Motives and activities. Tourism Management, 37, 13–24. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2012.12.011
KoepkeS.DenissenJ. J. A. (2012). Dynamics of identity development and separation–individuation in parent–child relationships during adolescence and emerging adulthood – A conceptual integration. Developmental Review: DR, 32(1), 67–88. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dr.2012.01.001
63.
KoestenJ.AndersonK. (2004). Exploring the influence of family communication patterns, cognitive complexity, and interpersonal competence on adolescent risk behaviors. Journal of Family Communication, 4(2), 99–121. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327698jfc0402_2
64.
KolstadA.GjesvikN. (2014). Collectivism, individualism, and pragmatism in China: Implications for perceptions of mental health. Transcultural Psychiatry, 51(2), 264–285. https://doi.org/10.1177/1363461514525220
65.
KooB.CurtisC.RyanB. (2021). Examining the impact of artificial intelligence on hotel employees through job insecurity perspectives. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 95, 102763. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2020.102763
66.
LanY. F.SuC. J. (2021). Fathers’ predominance in transport arrangements for family tourism: E-CHAID-based profiling in East Asia. Communications-Scientific Letters of the University of Zilina, 23(4), G13–G24. https://doi.org/10.26552/com.C.2021.4.G13-G24
67.
LaRossaR.BennettL. A. (2018). Ethical dilemmas in qualitative family research. In HandelG.WhitchurchG. G.The psychosocial interior of the family (pp. 139–156). Routledge.
68.
LarsonR. W.GillmanS. A.RichardsM. H. (1997). Divergent experiences of family leisure: Fathers, mothers, and young adolescents. Journal of Leisure Research, 29(1), 78–97. https://doi.org/10.1080/00222216.1997.11949784
69.
LauerL.GouldD.RomanN.PierceM. (2010). How parents influence junior tennis players’ development: Qualitative narratives. Journal of Clinical Sport Psychology, 4(1), 69–92. https://doi.org/10.1123/jcsp.4.1.69
LehtoX. Y.FuX.LiH.ZhouL. (2017). Vacation benefits and activities: Understanding Chinese family travelers. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research, 41(3), 301–328. https://doi.org/10.1177/1096348013515921
73.
LiaoH. H.SuC. J.LorgnierN.LanY. F.OhS. (2022). Adolescents’ motivation for family travels: Cross-culture/cross-country evidence. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 27(2), 103–134. https://doi.org/10.1080/10941665.2021.2020314
74.
LiM.LehtoX.LiH. (2020). 40 years of family tourism research: Bibliometric analysis and remaining issues. Journal of China Tourism Research, 16(1), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1080/19388160.2020.1733337
75.
LiM.WangD.XuW.MaoZ. (2017). Motivation for family vacations with young children: Anecdotes from the internet. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 34(8), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1080/10548408.2016.1276007
76.
LiY.LuC.BogicevicV.BujisicM. (2019). The effect of nostalgia on hotel brand attachment. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 31(2), 691–717. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijchm-12-2017-0797
77.
LollisS. (2003). Conceptualizing the influence of the past and the future in present parent-child relationships. In KuczynskiL. (Ed.), Handbook of dynamics in parent-child relations (pp. 67–87). Sage Publications.
78.
LongresJ. (Ed.). (1995). Human behavior in the social environment (2nd ed.). F. E. Peacock Publishers.
79.
LyuS. O.KimJ.BaeS. W. (2020). Family vacationers’ willingness to pay for glamping travel sites: A family functioning segmentation. International Journal of Tourism Research, 22(2), 155–167. https://doi.org/10.1002/jtr.2325
80.
MohsinA.RyanC. (2007). Exploring attitudes of Indian students toward holidaying in New Zealand using the leisure motivation scale. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 12(1), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/10941660601035860
81.
MordenoI. G.GallemitI. M. J. S.LantudS. S. B.HallB. J. (2019). Personal psychological resources mediate parent-child relationship and mental health among left-behind children. PsyCh Journal, 8(3), 318–329. https://doi.org/10.1002/pchj.288
82.
MorrisA. S.SilkJ. S.SteinbergL.MyersS. S.RobinsonL. R. (2007). The role of the family context in the development of emotion regulation. Social Development, 16(2), 361–388. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9507.2007.00389.x
83.
OrđevićM.MatejevićM. (2021). Family gatherings and functionality in families with adolescents. Facta Universitatis, Series: Philosophy, Sociology, Psychology and History, 20(3), 227–241.
84.
OrthnerD. K.ManciniJ. A. (1991). Benefits of leisure for family bonding. In DriverB. L.BrownP. J.PetersonG. L. (Eds.), Benefits of leisure (pp. 289–301). Venture Publishing.
85.
PaceC. S.San MartiniP.ZavattiniG. C. (2011). The factor structure of the inventory of parent and peer attachment (IPPA): A survey of Italian adolescents. Personality and Individual Differences, 51(2), 83–88. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2011.03.006
RejaänZ.van der ValkI. E.BranjeS. (2022). Postdivorce coparenting patterns and relations with adolescent adjustment. Journal of Family Issues, 43(7), 1739–1759. https://doi.org/10.1177/0192513x211030027
90.
RieschS. K.BushL.NelsonC. J.OhmB. J.PortzP. A.AbellB.WightmanM. R.JenkinsP. (2000). Topics of conflict between parents and young adolescents. Journal for Specialists in Pediatric Nursing: JSPN, 5(1), 27–40. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-6155.2000.tb00083.x
91.
RobinsonE.PowerL.AllanD. (2011). What works with adolescents? Family connections and involvement in interventions for adolescent problem behaviours. Australian Institute of Family Studies.
92.
RönkköM.ChoE. (2022). An updated guideline for assessing discriminant validity. Organizational Research Methods, 25(1), 6–14. https://doi.org/10.1177/1094428120968614
93.
RostadW. L.WhitakerD. J. (2016). The association between reflective functioning and parent–child relationship quality. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 25(7), 2164–2177. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-016-0388-7
94.
RuanW.-Q.LiY.-Q.ZhangS.-N.LiuC.-H. (2020). Does work-family conflict weaken family travel intention?—a study based on China. Journal of Leisure Research, 51(3), 264–286. https://doi.org/10.1080/00222216.2019.1679054
95.
Sampasa-KanyingaH.GoldfieldG. S.KingsburyM.ClayborneZ.ColmanI. (2020). Social media use and parent-child relationship: A cross-sectional study of adolescents. Journal of Community Psychology, 48(3), 793–803. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcop.22293
SchrodtP.WittP. L.MessersmithA. S. (2008). A meta-analytical review of family communication patterns and their associations with information processing, behavioral, and psychosocial outcomes. Communication Monographs, 75(3), 248–269. https://doi.org/10.1080/03637750802256318
98.
SeymourJ.McNameeS. (2012). Being parented: Children and young people’s engagement with parenting activities. In BuckinghamD. (Ed.), Learning from the children: Childhood, culture and identity in a changing world (pp. 92–107). Palgrave Macmillan.
99.
ShavanddashtM.SchänzelH. A. (2017). Effects of perceived parental style on adolescents’ motivations in a tourism context. Anatolia, 28(2), 263–275. https://doi.org/10.1080/13032917.2017.1298528
100.
ShawS. M.DawsonD. (2001). Purposive leisure: Examining parental discourses on family activities. Leisure Sciences, 23(4), 217–231. https://doi.org/10.1080/01490400152809098
101.
ShoshaniA.YaariS. (2022). Parental flow and positive emotions: Optimal experiences in parent-child interactions and parents’ well-being. Journal of Happiness Studies, 23(2), 789–811. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-021-00427-9
102.
SkowronE. A.SchmittT. A. (2003). Assessing interpersonal fusion: Reliability and validity of a new DSI fusion with others subscale. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 29(2), 209–222. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1752-0606.2003.tb01201.x
103.
SkowronE. A.StanleyK. L.ShapiroM. D. (2009). A longitudinal perspective on differentiation of self, interpersonal, and psychological well-being in young adulthood. Contemporary Family Therapy, 31(1), 3–18. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10591-008-9075-1
104.
SloanD.van DierendonckD. (2016). Item selection and validation of a brief, 20-item version of the differentiation of self inventory—revised. Personality and Individual Differences, 97, 146–150. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2016.03.037
105.
SnepengerD.KingJ.MarshallE.UysalM. (2006). Modeling Iso-Ahola’s motivation theory in the tourism context. Journal of Travel Research, 45(2), 140–149. https://doi.org/10.1177/0047287506291592
106.
Sojasi QeidariH.ShayanH.SolimaniZ.GhoroonehD. (2021). A phenomenological study of the learning experience of children in rural tourism destinations. Tourist Studies, 21(2), 235–259. https://doi.org/10.1177/1468797620985781
107.
SteeleE. H.McKinneyC. (2019). Emerging adult psychological problems and parenting style: Moderation by parent-child relationship quality. Personality and Individual Differences, 146, 201–208. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2018.04.048
108.
StevensonC. W.HallidayD. M.MarsdenC. A.MasonR. (2008). Early life programming of hemispheric lateralization and synchronization in the adult medial prefrontal cortex. Neurosciences, 155(3), 852–863. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroscience.2008.06.013
TherkelsenA. (2010). Deciding on family Holidays—Role distribution and strategies in use. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 27(8), 765–779. https://doi.org/10.1080/10548408.2010.526895
111.
TianL.LiuL.ShanN. (2018). Parent-child relationships and resilience among Chinese adolescents: The mediating role of self-esteem. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 1030. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01030
112.
VespestadM. K.LindbergF.MossbergL. (2019). Value in tourist experiences: How nature-based experiential styles influence value in climbing. Tourist Studies, 19(4), 453–474. https://doi.org/10.1177/1468797619837966
113.
WangS.ShiX.WangZ.LiZ.WangA.HuX.LiZ. (2023). Joint developmental trajectories and correlates of internalizing and externalizing problems among Chinese adolescents. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 79(2), 558–572. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.23436
114.
WangW.YiL.WuM.-Y.PearceP. L.HuangS. (. (2018). Examining Chinese adult children’s motivations for traveling with their parents. Tourism Management, 69, 422–433. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2018.06.024
WuM. Y.WallG.ZuY.YingT. (2019). Chinese children’s family tourism experiences. Tourism Management Perspectives, 29, 166–175. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmp.2018.11.003
119.
WuW.KirillovaK.LehtoX. (2021). Learning in family travel: What, how, and from whom?Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 38(1), 44–57. https://doi.org/10.1080/10548408.2020.1862025
120.
XuW.LiM.LinG.FengX. (2022). The socialization of preadolescents in family holidays: A serial mediation model. Tourism Management, 93, 104578. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2022.104578
121.
YangF. X.LauV. M. C. (2019). Experiential learning for children at world heritage sites: The joint moderating effect of brand awareness and generation of Chinese family travelers. Tourism Management, 72, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2018.11.011
122.
YeungJ. W. K.TsangE. Y. H.ChenH. F. (2019). Parental socialization and development of Chinese youths: A multivariate and comparative approach. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(10), 1730. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16101730
123.
YuX.AnayaG. J.MiaoL.LehtoX.WongI. A. (2018). The impact of smartphones on the family vacation experience. Journal of Travel Research, 57(5), 579–596. https://doi.org/10.1177/0047287517706263
124.
ZabriskieR. B.McCormickB. P. (2003). Parent and child perspectives of family leisure involvement and satisfaction with family life. Journal of Leisure Research, 35(2), 163–189. https://doi.org/10.1080/00222216.2003.11949989
125.
ZhaoZ.ShiD.QiX.ShanY.LiuX. (2023). Family travel among people with autism: Challenges and support needs. International Journal of Contemporary Surgery, 35(11), 3743–3763.
