Redai dili (May 2024)

Impact of Transnational Second-Home Mobility on Tourism Experience and Quality of Life

  • Liang Zengxian,
  • Luo Hui,
  • Liu Yanxing

DOI
https://doi.org/10.13284/j.cnki.rddl.003863
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 44, no. 5
pp. 961 – 972

Abstract

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Chinese people have become important international buyers of second homes in many destination countries, particularly Malaysia, Thailand, and other Southeast Asian countries. In the past decade, the aging population and the quest for a better life have become pressing concerns in China and have triggered an increase in transnational second-home purchases in other countries. However, despite the significant and rapid growth of transnational second homes in China, little is known about the nuanced relationship between buying motives and life satisfaction. Current studies in the Western context offer limited theoretical and practical implications for Chinese transnational second homes because Chinese buyers exhibit different motives and have a distinct understanding of a good life. Based on the push-pull theory, this study examines Chinese transnational second-home buyers' motivation and life satisfaction and the relationship between these two constructs. Data were drawn from 340 Chinese transnational second-home buyers of R&F Princess Cove in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. Structural equation modeling (SEM), Importance-Performance Map Analysis (IPMA), and multi-cluster analysis (MGA) were used to process the data. Our empirical results show that, in comparison to Western second-home buyers, Chinese second-home buyers' tourism and residential experiences and overall life satisfaction are significantly affected by pull motivations, while push motivations exhibit less influence. Among all the dimensions of push motivations, the natural and tourism environment, cultural and life atmosphere, and service facilities are crucial motivations in order of priority. Economic factors (such as prices and cost of living) also influence but are not the most important factors. Both tourism and residential experience significantly affect Chinese second-home buyers' overall life satisfaction, with residential experience exhibiting a higher influence. Women and larger second-home groups value residential experiences more than other groups, while smaller buyers value travel experiences more. This study provides new evidence for future studies on Chinese transnational second homes and responds to the current academic discussions on second-home buyers' motives in transnational contexts. Finally, this study has practical implications for domestic second-home destination construction and marketing.

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