CULTURE, COMPANIONSHIP AND ACTIVITY-TRAVEL BEHAVIOR: A COMPARISON BETWEEN BEIJING (CHINA) AND UTRECHT (THE NETHERLANDS)

There is a long history of drawing a large cultural distinction between West and East based on the constructs of individualism and collectivism. This coincides with a growing awareness of urban spatial change from the perspective of activity-travel behavior. However, limited attention has been paid to this issue. This paper contributes to the literature on how to examine cultures by investigating companion choice in travel behavior based on activity diary surveys collected in Beijing (China) and Utrecht (the Netherlands). The results show that participants in Beijing travel more often with family members, whereas those in Utrecht tend to travel alone or with friends. These important differences are mediated through sociodemographic, travel purpose and transport mode. The findings provide evidence that collective behavior is popular in Eastern society, whereas individualistic behavior is prevalent in Western society. These results will hopefully stimulate further analysis of cultural differences in transportation policy.