Developing and validating a travel motivation scale for parents traveling with children

Scales from the leisure and recreation fields are commonly used to measure family tourists’ motivations. By applying qualitative and quantitative methods, this research tests a family travel motivation scale with input from parents in China and the United States. A four-dimension scale, rooted in self-determination theory, is constructed. Results show that family travelers are intrinsically driven by family togetherness and relaxation besides three extrinsic motivations (experience enrichment, socialization enhancement, and familial duties). This scale can be used to evaluate the processes and outcomes of family travel motivation in a general cultural context. Implications are discussed along with study limitations.