Researchers have viewed constraints as a subset of reasons for not engaging in a particular behavior. This study investigates the impact of two-way interactions between age, income, and life stage (forming groups of more and less constrained respondents) on dependent variables comprising intentions held by Australian residents to travel intrastate, interstate or overseas for a vacation. A representative sample of 49,105 Australian respondents is utilized. Binary logistic regression is used to profile respondents who intend to take a domestic or an overseas holiday of more than three days duration. This paper finds that the interactions between the constraint variables of age, income and life stage are important in explaining travel preferences. Constraint groups are then formed by combining the important constraint variables. There are significant levels of vacation travel by even the most constrained groups as well as significant amounts of non-travel by the least constrained sectors of our society. Marketing insights and recommendations are provided for the most constrained travel group and the least constrained travel group.
Woodside, A.G., Krauss, E., Caldwell, M. and Chebat, J-C. (2007) `Advancing Folk Theory of Behavior Explanation, Ecological Systems Theory, and the Fit-Like-A-Glove Model for Understanding Lifestyle, Leisure, and Travel Behavior', Unpublished working paper.
2.
Woodside, A.G. and King, R.I. (2001) `An Updated Model of Travel and Tourism Purchase-Consumption Systems', Journal of Travel and Tourism Marketing10(1): 3-27.
3.
Woodside, A.G. and Dubelaar, C. (2002) `A General Theory of Tourism Consumption Systems: A Conceptual Framework and an Empirical Exploration' , Journal of Travel Research41 (November): 120-32.
4.
Woodside, A.G., MacDonald, R. and Burford, M. (2004) `Grounded Theory of Leisure Travel', Journal of Travel and Tourism Marketing17(1):7-39.
5.
Moutinho, L. (1987) `Consumer behaviour in tourism', European Journal of Marketing21(10): 5-44.
6.
Woodside, A.G. and Lysonski, S. (1989) `A General Model of Traveler Destination Choice', Journal of Travel Research27(4): 8-14.
7.
Woodside and King, ref. 2 above.
8.
Woodside and King, ref. 2 above.
9.
Hsieh, S., O'Leary, J.T. and Morrison, A.M. (1992) `Segmenting the international travel market by activity', Tourism Management (June): 209-23.
10.
Taylor, D.T. , Fletcher, R.R. and Clabaugh, T. (1993) `A Comparison of Characteristics, Regional Expenditures, and Economic Impact of Visitors to Historical Sites with Other Recreational Visitors', Journal of Travel Research32(1): 305.
11.
Teaff, J.D. and Turpin, T. (1996) `Travel and Elderly', Parks and Recreation31(6): 16-19.
12.
Woodside, A.G. and Pitts, R. (1976) `Effects of Consumer Lifestyles, Demographics, and Travel Activities on Foreign and Domestic Travel Behavior' , Journal of Travel Research14 (Winter): 13-15.
13.
Samdahl, D.M. and Jekubovich , N.J. (1997) `A Critique of Leisure Constraints: Comparative Analyses and Understandings' , Journal of Leisure Research29(4): 430-52.
14.
Woodside and Lysonski, ref. 6 above.
15.
Tian, S., Crompton, J.L. and Witt, P.A. (1996) `Integrating Constraints and Benefits to Identify Responsive Target Markets for Museum Attractions', Journal ofTravel Research35(2): 34-45.
16.
Samdahl and Jekubovich, ref. 13 above.
17.
Hudson, S. (2000) `The Segmentation of Potential Tourists: Constraint Differences Between Men and Women', Journal of Travel Research38 (May): 363-8.
18.
Woodside et al., ref. 1 above.
19.
Nicolau, J.L. and Mas, F.J. (2004) `Analysing Three Basic Decisions of Tourists: Going Away, Going Abroad and Going on Tour' Unpublished working paper, Serie EC from Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Economicas, S.A. (IVIE).
20.
Romsa, G. and Blenman, M. (1989) `Visitor patterns of elderly Germans', Annals ofTourism Research16: 178-88.
21.
Teaff and Turpin, ref. 11 above.
22.
Romsa and Blenman, ref. 20 above.
23.
Teaff and Turpin, ref. 11 above.
24.
Opperman, M. (1995) `Family Life Cycle and Cohort Effects: A Study of Travel Patterns of German Residents', Journal of Travel and Tourism Marketing4(1): 23-44.
25.
Nickerson, N.P. and Jurowski, C. (2001) `The Influence of Children on Vacation Travel Patterns', Journal of Vacation Marketing7(1): 19-30.
26.
Gilbert, D. and Hudson, S. (2000) `Tourism Demand Constraints:A Skiing Participation', Annals of Tourism Research27(4): 906-25.
27.
Witt, P.A. and Goodale, T.L. (1981) `The Relationship Between Barriers to Leisure Enjoyment and Family Stages', Leisure Sciences4: 29-49.
28.
McGuire, F.A. (1984) `A Factor Analytic Study of Leisure Constraints in Advanced Adulthood', Leisure Sciences6: 313-26.
29.
Buchanan, T. and Allen, L. (1985) `Barriers to Recreation Participation in Later Life Cycle Stages', Therapeutic Recreation Journal19: 39-50.
30.
Searle, M. and Jackson, E. (1985) `Socio-EconomicVariations in Perceived Barriers to Recreation Participation Among Would-Be Participants' , Leisure Sciences7: 227-49.
31.
McGuire, A., Dottavio, D. and O'Leary , J. (1986) `Constraints to Participation in Outdoor Recreation Across the Life Span: A Notion-Wide Study of Limitors and Prohibitors', The Gerontologist26: 538-44.
32.
Hultsman, W.Z. (1993) `Is Constrained Leisure an Internally Homogeneous Concept? An Extension', Journal of Leisure Research25: 215-334.
33.
Raymore, L., Godbey, G. and Crawford, D. (1994) `Self-Esteem, Gender and Socio-economic Status:Their Relation to Perceptions of Constraint on Leisure AmongAdolescents', Journal of Leisure Research26: 99-118.
34.
Plog, S.C. (1974) `Why Destination Areas Rise and Fall in Popularity' , Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly14: 55-8.
35.
Gilbert and Hudson, ref. 26 above.
36.
Kay, T. and Jackson, G. (1991) `Leisure Despite Constraint:The Impact of Leisure Constraints on Leisure Participation', Journal of Leisure Research23: 301-13.
37.
Shaw, S.M. , Bonen, A. and McCabe , J.F. (1991) `Do More Constraints Mean Less Leisure? Examining the Relationship between Constraints and Participation' , Journal of Leisure Research23: 286-300.
38.
Wright, B.A. and Goodale, T.L. (1991) `Beyond Non-Participation: Validation of Interest and Frequency of Participation Categories in Constraints Research', Journal of Leisure Research23: 314-31.
39.
McGehee, N., Loker-Murphy, L. and Uysal, M. (1996) `The Australian International Pleasure Travel Market: Motivations From a Gendered Perspective', Journal of Tourism Studies7(1): 45-57.
40.
Meric, H.J. and Hunt, J. (1998) `Ecotourists' Motivational and Demographic Characteristics: A case of North Carolina travelers' , Journal of Travel Research36(Spring): 57-61.
41.
March, R. andWoodside, A.G. (2005) `Testing Theory of Planned Versus Realized Tourism Behavior', Annals of Tourism Research32(4): 905-24.
42.
March andWoodside, ref. 41 above.
43.
Nicolau, J.L. and Más, F.J. (2005) `Heckit Modelling of Tourist Expenditure: Evidence from Spain', International Journal of Service Industry Management16(3/4): 271-93.
