This study empirically analyzes cross-national differences in tourism destination selection attributes and behavioral intentions among foreign MZ generation Free Independent Travelers (FITs) visiting Jeju Island. MZ generation individual travelers, who account for 78.8% of foreign tourists to Jeju, have emerged as the core consumer segment of Jeju’s tourism industry, and understanding their country-specific characteristics is a critical priority for enhancing tourism competitiveness. Utilizing secondary data from the 2024 Jeju Tourism Survey, this study analyzed 1,593 MZ generation FITs from five country groups: China, Japan, Chinese-speaking regions (Taiwan and Hong Kong), Southeast Asia, and Western countries. Through exploratory factor analysis, one-way ANOVA, post-hoc tests, and independent samples t-tests, cross-national differences in destination selection attributes (tourism attraction, accessibility, and local acceptance) and behavioral intentions (overall satisfaction, revisit intention, and recommendation intention) were examined. The results revealed statistically significant differences across all country groups in tourism attraction (F=8.708, p<.001), accessibility (F=11.856, p<.001), and local acceptance (F=12.530, p<.001). Behavioral intentions also exhibited distinct patterns across groups (F=17.659, p<.001). This study empirically demonstrates that despite sharing generational characteristics as MZ generation travelers, destination attribute perceptions and behavioral intentions vary significantly according to tourists’ country of origin and cultural background. The findings provide practical implications for developing country-specific tourism strategies, including implementing traditional Chinese character signage systems for Chinese-speaking region tourists, improving transportation accessibility for Japanese tourists, and developing experiential content for Western tourists.
Kim et al. (Sat,) studied this question.