Factors Influencing The Choice Of Caravans And Caravan Sites: A Scale Development Study
Öz
Caravan tourism has become a rapidly growing travel trend in Türkiye and around the world, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, as people seek to connect with nature, escape the crowds and find a sense of freedom. Tourists’ caravan experience is fundamentally based on two key decisions: which vehicle to choose for accommodation and transport, and which caravan site to stay at. The primary aim of this study is to fill this gap in the literature by developing two new measurement tools—‘Scale of Factors Influencing Caravan Choice’ and the ‘Scale of Factors Influencing Caravan Site Choice’—and to test their validity and reliability. An item pool was compiled from the literature and sector sources, reviewed by a panel of tourism academics and caravan sector practitioners, and refined through a pilot study before the main data were collected from 477 caravan users in Türkiye. As part of the study’s methodology, Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) were conducted using data collected from the item pool. According to the analysis results, the “Scale of Factors Influencing Caravan Choice” comprises 7 sub-dimensions and 38 items, whilst the “Scale of Factors Influencing Caravan Site Choice” comprises 4 sub-dimensions and 16 items. These structures explained 70,07% and 76,62% of the total variance. Furthermore, the statistical validity of both scales was confirmed. The overall Cronbach’s alpha values were 0,971 and 0,941, and the goodness-of-fit indices obtained from CFA remained within acceptable limits. Consequently, it has been demonstrated that both scales developed are robust, valid and reliable tools for measuring consumer expectations and caravan experience preferences within the Turkish context. It is anticipated that this study will provide practical benefits to industry stakeholders and establish a solid theoretical foundation for future quantitative tourism research.
Anahtar Kelimeler
Caravan Tourism, Caravan Choice, Caravan Site, Scale Development, Validity and Reliability
Kaynakça
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