Influence of Destination Motivation and Perception on Cross‑border Tourism Consumption Behavior

Abstract

This study examines the influence of destination motivation and destination perception on cross-border tourism consumption among Chinese tourists visiting Bangkok, Thailand, using the Stimulus–Organism–Response (SOR) framework. Internal travel motives (push factors) and perceptions of Bangkok’s attributes (pull factors) are conceptualized as stimuli shaping tourists’ spending behaviors abroad. A structured survey of 420 Chinese outbound tourists was conducted, employing validated measurement scales adapted to the Bangkok context. Structural equation modeling (SEM) results revealed that both destination motivation (β ≈ 0.45, p < 0.001) and destination perception (β ≈ 0.32, p < 0.001) positively predicted consumption behavior, jointly explaining over 50% of the variance. Tourists with stronger motivations and more favorable perceptions reported higher spending across shopping, dining, and entertainment, consistent with SOR theory’s proposition that destination stimuli elicit approach behaviors through internal responses. The findings offer theoretical and practical implications for cross-border tourism management. For destination marketers and policymakers in Thailand, appealing to Chinese tourists’ dominant motivations and sustaining a favorable image of Bangkok can effectively stimulate on-site consumption and enhance economic benefits. This research contributes to tourism behavior literature by integrating motivation and perception within an SOR-based model to predict actual spending, rather than intentions, in a cross-border context. It also provides actionable insights for post-pandemic tourism recovery strategies targeting high-spending source markets such as China.