How job stress relates to micro-tourism behaviour: the roles of time poverty, perceived constraints and state anxiety

As job stress intensifies and leisure time becomes increasingly fragmented, urban employees’ demand for immediate forms of leisure-based recovery continues to grow. With its short duration, proximity, and low participation threshold, micro-tourism has gradually become an important everyday leisure practice. However, how job stress relates to micro-tourism behaviour remains underexplored, especially when employees have strong recovery needs but limited time, energy, and other resources. Drawing on Conservation of Resources theory, this study examines whether time poverty, perceived constraints, and state anxiety independently and sequentially mediate the relationship between job stress and micro-tourism participation. The model was tested using structural equation modelling with data from 458 full-time employees in urban China who engaged in out-of-home activities for stress relief. Results showed that job stress was positively associated with micro-tourism behaviour. All three variables significantly mediated this relationship, with perceived constraints showing the largest indirect effect. The sequential indirect effect was also significant. These findings suggest that when employees experiencing high job stress face constraints on time, energy, and other resources, micro-tourism may become an accessible recovery option. This study offers empirical support for understanding such behaviour under resource constraints, with implications for organizational management and micro-tourism product development.