The motivations of extreme tourism and their effects on travel intention: the mediating role of self-congruity

Purpose This study aimed to construct a measurement scale for extreme travel motivation and examine how these motivations influence self-congruity, which in turn influences tourists' choice of extreme tourism. Design/methodology/approach Study 1 employed a mixed-methods approach, including in-depth interviews and a first-round questionnaire survey, to classify the motivational dimensions of extreme tourism. Study 2 included a second-round questionnaire survey to examine how motivations influence potential tourists' travel intentions through self-congruity. Findings In Study 1, the measurement scale of extreme tourism was identified, which contains 15 items in four dimensions (rarity sense, self-fulfilment, social and exploration). Study 2 found that these four motivational dimensions had a positive impact on destination travel intention, with self-congruity playing a mediating role. Originality/value This study developed a motivation measurement scale for extreme tourism, helping to promote niche tourism. It constructed a theoretical model of “motivation–self-congruity–tourism intention”, which confirmed the mechanism of how tourism motivation has a positive impact on tourism intention through self-congruity.