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BX2091 Tourism &

Leisure Demand: Push
& Pull Factors
- Jane Chen
 Learning Outcomes
• Discriminate between push & pull factors
• Recognise how the various push factors influence the growth of
tourism
• Understand how the various pull factors influence the attraction
to a destination
• Reflect on how push & pull factors may also influence the
leisure industries

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Lecture Outline
• Tourism
• Push Factors that influence the
growth of Tourism
• Pull Factors that influence tourism flows
• Leisure
• Can we apply these same conceptual
approaches of push and pull factors
to leisure activities rather than
destinations?

© James Cook
University
jcu.edu.au BX2091:03
Tourism
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Push & Pull Factors

© James Cook
University
jcu.edu.au BX2091:03
Tourism
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Factors Impacting on Flow

• Geographical differentiation
• PUSH Factors: factors impacting on demand -
market or origin-based forces in the generating
region
• PULL Factors: factors impacting on supply -
product and service-based forces at the
destination.

© James Cook
University
jcu.edu.au BX2091:03
Tourism
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Push Factors
• PUSH factors are those developments that
stimulate the demand for travel from a
generating region.
• PUSH Factors
• Economic Factors
• Social Factors
• Demographic Factors
• Technological Factors
• Political Factors
© James Cook
University
jcu.edu.au BX2091:03
Tourism
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Push Factors: Economic

• Economic Factors
• Affluence: scope and volume of tourism increases as economic
wealth and discretionary income rises
• Discretionary income is the money available to a household
after basic needs have been met
• Economic wealth is most commonly
measured by per capita GDP (Total
goods and services produced /
population)
• The distribution of affluence is
also important
© James Cook
University
jcu.edu.au BX2091:03
Tourism
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Push Factors: Economic

Burton’s 4 phases of tourism participation

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TOURISM PARTICIPATION

Phase 1 Subsistence-based, pre- No mass tourism

industrial, rural, agrarian, Elite travel to domestic and
Large gap between poor international destinations
masses and small elite

Phase 2 Industrialising Widespread participation in

Rapid growth or urban areas domestic tourism
Growing middle class Increased international
travel by elite

© James Cook
University
jcu.edu.au BX2091:03
Tourism
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Push Factors: Economic

Burton’s 4 phases of tourism participation
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TOURISM PARTICIPATION

Phase 3 Almost industrialised Mass participation in

Population mostly urban domestic tourism
Middles class becoming Elite turn towards long-
dominant haul international travel

Phase 4 Fully industrialised, ‘high- Mass participation in

tech’ orientation domestic and international
Mostly urban (long-haul and short-haul)
High levels of affluence tourism

© James Cook
University
jcu.edu.au BX2091:03
Tourism
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Push Factors: Social

• Social Factors
• Time Poor - Money Rich
• More discretionary time (ie: holiday leave)
• People are voluntarily working harder to cope
with stress and pressure

© James Cook
University
jcu.edu.au BX2091:03
Tourism
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Push Factors: Social

• Phase 2 societies: Play in order to work
• Changing distribution of discretionary time:
• eight hour day, two day weekend
• paid leave and innovative work options
• Phase 4 societies: Work in order to play
• Growing awareness of socio-cultural and
environmental issues

© James Cook
University
jcu.edu.au BX2091:03
Tourism
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Push Factors: Social

• Recreation Leave Entitlements in key Generating Countries
Country Holiday Leave
Sweden 25 days
France 25 days
Germany 24 days
UK 20 days
South Korea 15 days
Australia 20 days
USA 10 to 15 days
Canada 10 to 20 days
Japan 10 days
China 5/10/15 days
© James Cook
University
jcu.edu.au BX2091:03
Tourism
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Push Factors: Demographic

• Demographic Factors
• Declining birth rate leading to reduced family size
• Increased life expectancy and ageing of the population
• Population trends
• Urbanisation
• Marriage patterns
• Migration

© James Cook
University
jcu.edu.au BX2091:03
Tourism
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Push Factors: Technology

• Technological Factors
• Transport technologies
• Information technologies
• Computer Reservation Systems
• Internet
• Intelligent Agents
• Smart Cards
• E-ticketing
• Information Databases
• AR (Augmented Reality) and VR (Virtual Reality)

© James Cook
University
jcu.edu.au BX2091:03
Tourism
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Online Travel Market

• 74% of travelers use social media while traveling. (Martech Zone, 2018)
• 85% of travelers use mobile devices to book travel activities. (Martech Zone,
2018)
• 97% of Millennials share photos on social media while traveling, compared to
60% of all travelers. (Martech Zone, 2018)
• Travel website cart abandonment rates are higher than the overall average of
76.8%, currently standing at 81.6%. (SaleCycle, 2017)
• Approximately 75% of travel followers likely will “take action on videos they
see, either swiping up (for more information), sharing with a friend, visiting a
website or downloading an app. (Wex, 2019) 
• 1,000,000 travel-related hashtags are searched weekly. (Wex, 2019)
© James Cook
University
jcu.edu.au BX2091:03
Tourism
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© James Cook
University
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Push Factors: Political

• Political Factors
• Freedom to Travel
• Japan 1964
• South Korea 1983
• China (slow relaxation of restrictions since 1978)
• Govt Programs Encouraging International Travel
• Japan’s 10 Million Program 1979
• Deregulation of Transport

© James Cook
University
jcu.edu.au BX2091:03
Tourism
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Push & Pull Factors

Video 4b_2
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Management
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Pull Factors
• Pull factors are focussed on the supply of tourism (ie: the
destination)
• Pull factors include:
• Geographic Proximity to Markets
• Accessibility to Markets
• Resource Base
• Cultural Links
• Affordability
• Peace & Stability
• Positive Market Image
• Pro-Tourism Policies
© James Cook
University
jcu.edu.au BX2091:03
Tourism
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Pull Factors: Geographic Access

• Geographical proximity
• Distance Decay
• Time Sensitivity
• Cost Sensitivity
• ‘Tyranny of Distance’ is a key issue for Australia
• Cairns well positioned in geographic context: closer to
Asian markets

© James Cook
University
jcu.edu.au BX2091:03
Tourism
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Pull Factors: Geographic Access

Distance Decay

Generating 1 2 3 4 Destination
Country

Excursionist
Periphery

© James Cook
University
jcu.edu.au BX2091:03
Tourism
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Pull Factors: Geographic Access

Accessibility
• Geographic Accessibility
• Landscape features (mountains, water, valleys) that impede
access
• Infrastructural Accessibility
• Direct Transport Facilities
• Supporting Infrastructure such as Airports
• Political Accessibility
• Freedom of Passage
• Visa Controls & Requirements © James Cook
University
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Tourism
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Pull Factors: Resources

• Resource Base
• Attractions are a key drawcard
• Quality, Quantity, Diversity, Uniqueness, &
Accessibility
• Supporting facilities: Accommodation,
Restaurants, Shopping, etc
• Human resources
• Climate
• Increased resource scarcity © James Cook
• Sustainable use of resources University
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Pull Factors: Culture

• Cultural Affinity
• Attraction to destinations with similar cultural traits
• VFR Links
• Risk minimisation for less adventurous
• Same language, similar food, similar styles of
entertainment
• Flow back to cultural roots (e.g. USA  Europe,
Chinese  China)
© James Cook
University
jcu.edu.au BX2091:03
Tourism
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Pull Factors: Affordability

• Affordability
• Transport Costs
• Cost of Living in Destination Country
• Exchange Rates

© James Cook
University
jcu.edu.au BX2091:03
Tourism
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Pull Factors: Stability

• Peace and Stability
• Safety concerns - strong influence on destination
choice.
• Impediments to International Visitation
• War
• Political Tensions
• Terrorist Activity
• Civil Unrest
• Violence directed at Tourists
© James Cook
University
jcu.edu.au BX2091:03
Tourism
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Pull Factors: Stability

• Peace and Stability
• Crime
• Natural disasters
• Globalisation:
• growing power of international economic forces and consequent
reduced control of individual states and non-global corporations
• Localisation:
• conflicts between identity and modernity
• demands from groups defined on ethnicity, religion and social
structures to be recognized

© James Cook
University
jcu.edu.au BX2091:03
Tourism
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Pull Factors: Image

• Market Image
• International Promotion and Branding
• Reinforcement of positive attitudes toward tourism
• Stereotypes
• Negative Images:
• pollution
• environmental degradation
• crime
• natural disasters
• political instability © James Cook
University
jcu.edu.au BX2091:03
Tourism
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Pull Factors: Tourism Policies

• Pro-tourism policies
• Tourism awareness campaigns
• Government commitment to tourism
• Relaxation and streamlining of entry procedures
• Airline deregulation

© James Cook
University
jcu.edu.au BX2091:03
Tourism
 Impacts of COVID-19

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Push & Pull Factors

ti es? ??
Ac tiv i
L e isu re
Fo r

Video 4b_3
BX2091:03
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Management
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Question??

• Can we apply these same conceptual approaches of push and pull factors
to leisure activities rather than destinations?
• Think about it using the examples of attending an event:
• State of Origin Football event in Brisbane?
• Groovin’ the Moo?

© James Cook
University
jcu.edu.au BX2091:03
Tourism
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Factors Pushing people out of their homes to

Attend an Event?
• Economic Factors
• Social Factors
• Demographic Factors
• Technological Factors
• Political Factors

© James Cook
University
jcu.edu.au BX2091:03
Tourism
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Factors Pulling people to Attend an Event

• Geographic Proximity to Home

• Accessibility / Transport to the Event
• Quality, Quantity, Diversity, Uniqueness etc of the Event
• Cultural / Social Links
• Affordability
• Safety
• Event Image

© James Cook
University
jcu.edu.au BX2091:03
Tourism