Determinants of Canadian and US mountain bike tourists’ site preferences: examining the push–pull relationship

ABSTRACT The purpose of this research was to examine the travel behaviors, travel motivations, and site preferences of Canadian and US mountain bikers to better understand the determinants of destination attractiveness during mountain bike-specific travel. An online questionnaire was distributed through social media of Canadian and US mountain bike clubs to collect data. A total of 1346 responses were collected, however, responses with missing data or from outside of Canada and US were deleted, resulting in a sample of N = 720. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and multiple regression analysis. EFA analysis of the 41 pull items extracted seven pull factors consisting of climate, trail conditions, natural setting, information sources, trail features, tourism infrastructure, and entertainment options. EFA analysis of the 20 push items extracted five push factors comprised of stimulus-avoidance, adventure experiences, novelty, competency-mastery, and social encounters. Multiple regression analysis revealed that push factors were correlated with pull factors, indicating that travel push motives and destination pull factors interact to form a mountain bike tourists’ perception of destination attractiveness. The findings offer recommendations for developing and marketing a mountain bike-specific travel destination.