Off-the-beaten-track travel and the transformative experiences of Hong Kong self-drive tourists in Guangdong, China

Based on the developmental theory of place attachment, this study investigates the off-the-beaten-track travel (OBTT) behaviours of Hong Kong self-drive tourists in Guangdong, China, examining transformative (life-changing) experiences and country attachment (emotional connection to a country). We also examined the moderating effects of travel companions, age, and gender on the relationship between OBTT behaviours and transformative experiences or country attachment. This study addresses the research gaps on cross-boundary self-drive journey experiences, focusing on the behavioural, psychological, and social outcomes. A questionnaire was administered online to 244 self-drive tourists from Hong Kong. Structural equation modelling confirms a positive relationship between OBTT and country attachment, partially mediated by transformative experiences. Travel companions have a negative moderating effect on the relationship between OBTT and transformative experience, such that the relationship is stronger when the number of companions is fewer. Implications lie in the role of OBTT in offering personal benefit (inner transformation) for the Hong Kong self-drive tourists and political benefit (country attachment) for the destination country. The implications of this study provide a foundation for destination stakeholders in Guangdong to create transformative travel offerings that foster deeper traveller-destination bonds, thus boosting local communities and regional tourism economies.