Have coffee/tea, will travel: assessing the inclination towards sustainable coffee and tea tourism among the green generations

What the paper says

Purpose This study aims to identify the key variables which determine intentions to visit coffee/tea tourism plantations particularly those adopting sustainable practices. Also, this study ascertained the perception of risk in travelling due to the fear of Covid-19 on travel intentions to such coffee/tea tourism destinations. Design/methodology/approach Using the theory of planned behaviour as a basis for this study’s framework, data was gathered from 302 eco-conscious Generation Y and Z consumers via an online survey. Partial least squares were then applied to analyse the data. Findings Learning and relaxation motives were important in determining consumers’ attitudes towards sustainable coffee/tea tourism. The intention to engage in sustainable coffee/tea tourism is most strongly affected by the risk of travelling, followed by attitude. Research limitations/implications The addition of contemporary variables was given to the theory of planned behaviour’s core constructs to better reflect consumers’ attitude and behaviour towards a growing form of tourism under unprecedented times. Practical implications Travel or tourism operators will have first-hand insights on the factors that drive intentions to visit sustainable coffee and tea destinations, thus enabling more strategic action to be undertaken to reach the targeted young consumers. Originality/value This study examines young, environmental-conscious consumers’ perspectives on novel travel destinations which adopt sustainable practices. Risk in travelling was assessed which is necessary given Covid-19 has severely disrupted consumers’ travel patterns.