A conceptual framework for studying recreational travel motivation from an Arab perspective

• Omar Moufakkir ^[1] ; Dhoha AlSaleh ^[1]
  1. [1] Gulf University for Science and Technology, Mishref, Kuwait
• Localización: Tourism recreation research, ISSN 0250-8281, Vol. 42, Nº. 4, 2017, págs. 522-536
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • While there is a well-established body of recreational travel motivation literature, relatively little is known about travel motivation in the Arab world. This paper focuses on Kuwaiti citizens and uses Iso-Ahola’s seeking and escaping motivational theory to explore their motives and shed light on their behaviour. In-depth interviews and focus groups were conducted and a list of 108 motivations was generated. The study identifies seeking and escaping elements in relation to five identified types of recreational travel, documents core motivations, and introduces the paradox of seeking and escaping as a theoretical framework to support further studies focused on Arab recreational travel. What is typically an element of periodic escape paradoxically becomes a desirable, sought after element, depending on the type of recreational travel pursued. The paper offers a contribution towards the sociological understanding of Arab recreational travel.