Abstract:
Kenya’s tourism continues to rely heavily on wildlife. Of the approximately 922,000
annual international arrivals during the peak season between June and October, nearly
738,000 head for the Maasai Mara National Game Reserve to witness the seventh
wonder of the world, the annual wildebeest migration. Several studies have been
conducted based on construal level theory to establish the effect of temporal distance
using various factors that determine travel decisions. However, to date, no study has
been carried out to establish the effect of temporal distance on destination choice
decision-making. As tourism consumption involves making a purchase decision now for
a future point in time, this study evaluated the effects of temporal distance on the
destination choice decision-making based on the construal level theory framework. The
study adopted the survey approach based on a confirmatory research design. Using a
sample of 144 drawn from a population of 230 tourists, data was collected and analyzed
using correlation, ANOVA, and regression methods. The findings revealed that
temporal distance has a positive and significant effect on decision-making regarding
destination choice based on levels of construal measured through R=0.324; R2=0.105; β
= 0.295; t= 3.024 > +2; F=9.145; and p=0.003<0.05. The study revealed that temporal
distance has a significant effect on the decision process of choosing a destination. In
conclusion, therefore, marketing communications targeted at tourists should be
intensified well in advance of the season envisioned for traveling to increase the
desirability of the destination and thus, influence more tourists to choose the
destination. The study also contributes valuably to the literature on tourists’
destination choosing decisions based on temporal distance in the construal level theory
framework.
