Title of Paper
Abstract (150 Words)
The uniqueness of transformative travel lies in its subjective, enduring, and personal growth-oriented nature. Despite this uniqueness and the role the place/setting play in triggering transformations, there is a lack of academic focus on destinations and relevant traveller perceptions as viewed from a transformative lens. Therefore, we use a destination image perspective to propose the notion of transformative destinations (i.e., places that have the potential to trigger transformations by creating a sense of otherness) and to present a conceptualisation of the transformative destination image. Accordingly, based on Fishbein’s theory of attitude-behaviour relations and considering the importance of novelty, a willing and open mindset and subjectiveness for transformative travel, we posit that destination familiarity, perceived cultural distance, travellers’ personal values, and the degree of mindfulness during an experience influence the transformative destination image which then induces behavioural intentions.
A model of destination image for transformative travel
The uniqueness of transformative travel lies in its subjective, enduring, and personal growth-oriented nature. Despite this uniqueness and the role the place/setting play in triggering transformations, there is a lack of academic focus on destinations and relevant traveller perceptions as viewed from a transformative lens. Therefore, we use a destination image perspective to propose the notion of transformative destinations (i.e., places that have the potential to trigger transformations by creating a sense of otherness) and to present a conceptualisation of the transformative destination image. Accordingly, based on Fishbein’s theory of attitude-behaviour relations and considering the importance of novelty, a willing and open mindset and subjectiveness for transformative travel, we posit that destination familiarity, perceived cultural distance, travellers’ personal values, and the degree of mindfulness during an experience influence the transformative destination image which then induces behavioural intentions.