BACKPACKERS’ ESCAPE EXPERIENCE: FLOW THEORY APPROACH

Abstract

Backpacking is an essential and rising market in the tourism industry. Other than mass tourists, it is known that backpackers have an extraordinary, intense experience during their vacations, immerse themselves to places/destinations, lose their sense of time, have a high concentration and sense of joy and curiosity. Although the effects of flow experience which is one of the primary motivations for backpackers on escape experience is discussed theoretically in the literature, it is not measured. The present study aims to measure the relationship between flow and escape experiences. Survey technique is used to gather data and the data is gathered from various online platforms which backpackers are members of. Among the obtained data, 231 questionnaires were analyzed. The theoretical model which focused on the flow and escape experiences is tested using structural equation modelling, and the model had good fitting indices. As a result of the study, flow which had enjoyment/curiosity, focused attention, distortion of time dimensions, affected the escape experience positively. 

Keywords

• Backpackers,Escape,Flow Theory,Touristic Experience

SIRTÇANTALILARIN KAÇIŞ DENEYİMİ: AKIŞ KURAMI YAKLAŞIMI

Abstract

Sırtçantalı hareket, turizm endüstrisi açısından önemli ve sürekli yükselen bir pazar olarak görülmektedir. Sırtçantalıların kitle turistinden farklı olarak, seyahatleri sırasında olağanüstü, yoğun bir deneyim olan akışı yaşadıkları, kendilerini mekânlara kaptırdıkları, zaman kavramını kaybettikleri, yüksek odaklanma, eğlence, merak hissi duydukları bilinmektedir. İlgili alan yazında, akış deneyiminin aynı zamanda önemli bir sırtçantalı motivasyonu olarak görülen kaçış deneyimine etkileri kuramsal olarak tartışılmış olsa da ölçülmemiştir. Mevcut çalışma, akış ve kaçış arasındaki bu ilişkiyi ölçmeyi amaçlamıştır. Araştırmada anket tekniğinden yararlanılmıştır. Anketler sırtçantalıların üye oldukları çeşitli çevrimiçi platformlardan toplanmıştır. Veri toplama süreci sonunda analiz edilebilir 231 anket formu elde edilmiştir. Akış ve kaçış deneyimlerini merkezine alan teori, yapısal eşitlik modeli ile test edilmiş, modelin iyi uyum endeksleri ürettiği ortaya çıkmıştır. Araştırma sonucunda eğlence/merak, odaklanılmış dikkat, zamanın kaybolması olmak üzere üç alt faktörden oluşan akışın, kaçış deneyimini pozitif yönde etkilediği saptanmıştır.

Keywords

• Sırtçantalılar,Kaçış,Akış Kuramı,Turistik Deneyim

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