Investigating the Push and Pull Motivation of Visiting Domestic Destinations in China: A Means‐End Approach

China, with its over 1.3 billion population, is a rising star in terms of tourism, not only for its potential of outbound tourism but also for its great potential of domestic tourism. Thus, the present study was conducted to develop a better understanding of Chinese tourists' motivations in selection of domestic destinations for Spring Festival holiday. A qualitative method, namely, the means‐end approach, was used to analyze the primary data. The results of implication matrices and hierarchical value maps indicated the existence of 8 pull motivational factors and 17 push motivational factors. Correlations between these factors were found when respondents were solicited to provide abstract meanings of the destination attributes they identified. More specifically, consequences and personal values driven by the destination attributes were presented as having similarities with mentioned push factors. This study thus attempted to contribute to the existing literature by investigating the means‐end chains of both pull and push motivational factors and by applying the motivation theory and means‐end theory in China's domestic tourism. Finally, managerial implications were specified for the benefit of Chinese local governments and destination marketers. 中国拥有13亿人口，旅游业蓬勃发展，不仅出境旅游潜力巨大，国内游也拥有美好的前景。此研究旨在对中国旅游者在春节假期内选择国内旅游目的地的动机进行更深入的剖析。本文用质化研究的一种方法，means‐end 理论，来分析一手数据。涵义矩阵(implication matrix)和等级价值图形(hierarchical value map)显示，共有8个拉力动机因素和17个推力动机因素。受访者提供目的地特点的抽象意义后，这些因素的关联性便显现出来。具体而言，由目的地特征因素所引发的结果因素和个人价值因素显示与上述推力动机因素有共同点。此研究目的在于探讨包括推力动机因素和拉力动机因素的 means‐end 链条，同时将动机理论和 means‐end 理论运用于中国的国内游市场方面，进而对现有文献做出贡献。最后，讨论了本文对于中国地方政府和旅游目的地营销者的实际应用价值。