A model of vacation choice: an integration of personality and vacation choice with leisure constraints theory

Over the years, a number of tourist choice models have been advanced by researchers but, in the study of tourist choice, two areas in particular appear to be lacking - the possible role of the individual difference variable, personality, in that choice, and the importance of constraints during the choice process. This chapter presents a model of vacation choice based on the constraints model of leisure participation proposed by Crawford el al. (Leisure Sciences 13, 309-320, 1991) and modified by Jackson el al. (Leisure Sciences 15, 1-11, 1993), but incorporating the individual difference variable, personality In building on Jackson el at.'s model, it is proposed that personality will influence vacation preference through the development of Motives, and that personality will influence the perception of both intrapersonal constraints and assessment of the ability to negotiate them. It is further proposed that an individual's weighted motives will give rise to weighted vacation attribute preferences and that successful negotiation of interpersonal constraints will lead to jointly agreed weighted vacation attribute preferences.