Examining the relationship between financial well-being, compensatory escapism and travel to nature

Although perceived financial well-being is known to influence psychological well-being, little is understood about how it shapes restoration-oriented coping and vacation intentions. The purpose of this research is to examine how perceived financial well-being influences compensatory escapism and intention to travel to nature, and whether access to nature-based content and travel nostalgia shape these relationships. Drawing on the Conservation of Resources theory, the proposed framework was tested across three survey-based studies using partial least squares structural equation modelling. The findings consistently show that lower perceived financial well-being is associated with greater compensatory escapism, which, in turn, is positively associated with intention to travel to nature. Furthermore, access to nature-based content weakens, whereas travel nostalgia strengthens, the relationship between perceived financial well-being and compensatory escapism. By integrating financial well-being, consumer coping, and nature-based tourism within a unified conservation of resources framework, this research identifies perceived financial well-being as an important antecedent of restoration-seeking vacation intentions and provides guidance for vacation marketers in designing accessible, restorative experiences and communication strategies for financially constrained consumers.