Motivations, perceived risk and behavioural intentions in hard adventure tourism. A natural park case study1

Purpose of the paper: This study on consumer behaviour intends to combine two lines of investigation. First, we examine how different motivation factors in adventure tourism affect behavioural intentions. Secondly, in order to provide a better understanding of behavioural intentions we further explore the differences between the groups of individuals’ subjective perception of risk. Design/methodology/approach: A visitor survey was conducted on a sample of hard adventure tourists at the Friuli Dolomiti Alps Natural Park. Factor analysis of motivational items resulted in four dimensions (i.e. nature, risk, contemplation and socialization). In order to discover a relationship between the four motivational factors and the adventure tourists’ behavioural intention, a stepwise regression analysis was conducted. Then, using ANOVA and post hoc analysis (Scheffe’s test), the existing differences between various levels of risk perception of adventure tourists and their response to behavioural intentions were analysed. Findings: The analysis of motivational factors indicates that “activity related motivations” include four dimensions: nature, risk, contemplation and socialization. The stepwise regression results show that nature is the only motivational factor that affects tourists’ behavioural intention. Originality/value: This paper shows that “nature” is the key motivational factor for adventure tourists to revisit a park. Practical implications: The analysis provides a framework suggesting how organizations might usefully implement a marketing strategy. This study encompasses the risk perception as a motivational factor and tries to discuss how this concept can be operationalized in tourism marketing. Limitations: This paper presents two main limitations. Firstly, the cross sectional nature of the data, and secondly, the hypotheses were tested using a sample from a limited area.