SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL CHOICES: A STUDY OF ALTERNATIVE TOURISM IN NORTH SULAWESI
As the demand for more responsible tourism practices grows, alternative tourism emerges for its potential to drive sustainable impacts. This study explores the factors influencing the intention to visit alternative tourism in North Sulawesi, a concept promoted for its positive impact within responsible tourism. Employing a quantitative survey method with incidental sampling, the research analyzes data using inferential statistics. Key findings reveal that destination attractiveness and travel motivation have a significant impact on the intention to visit, while destination image and novelty seeking behavior do not directly affect the intention to visit. Destination attractiveness and destination image significantly influence novelty seeking behavior, but neither of them influences the intention to visit when mediated by novelty seeking behavior. Destination image has a significant effect on both travel motivation and intention to visit, either directly or mediated by travel motivation, while destination attractiveness shows no significant impact on either. The findings emphasize the relationship between psychological factors, such as motivation and novelty-seeking, and perceptual elements, such as destination image and attractiveness. While destination image and travel motivation shape the travel intentions, destination attractiveness and novelty-seeking behavior have a more secondary or supportive influence.
Intention to Visit, Destination Image, Destination Attractiveness, Travel Motivation, Novelty Seeking Behavior.