Chinese outbound tourists' perceived constraints to visiting the United States

Abstract

This study attempts to gain insight into what factors constrain Chinese outbound tourists from visiting the United States, using the Leisure Constraint Model as the analytical framework. Chinese tourists who indicated low likelihood to visit the United States in the next five years were asked to explain their reasons, which were then content analyzed and categorized. The results suggest that intrapersonal and structural constraints were of particular importance for respondents, whereas few interpersonal constraints were reported. Past travel experiences and more attractive alternatives negatively affected these Chinese tourists' intention to visit the United States. Further, the study found that time and distance constraints, security concerns, difficulty in acquiring travel visas, and monetary concerns were the main structural constraints of Chinese outbound tourists. Finally, all groups that had not been to the United States indicated that they had some negative impression of the country, which also deterred them from visiting the United States.