Motivation and Perception of Tourists as Push and Pull Factors to Visit National Park

¹ Master Program of Environmental Science, School of Postgraduate Studies, Diponegoro University, Semarang - Indonesia
² Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Faculty of Engineering, Diponegoro University, Semarang - Indonesia

^* Corresponding author: jumrin46@gmail.com

Abstract

Push-pull theoretical framework is a popular theory to explain the reason why the tourists decide to visit the destination rather than other place, the kind of experience they want to get and the type of activity they want to do. In this paper, it is explained the motivation as push factors and the perception as pull factors of the tourist in deciding the destination based on previous literature and research using descriptive method. The framework asumed that tourists are motivated to fulfill their needs, including to reduce the psychological imbalance and to gain recognition of social status. National Park is one of destination based on nature or commonly knowns as ecotourism. In choosing the destination, the tourists tend to classify their alternative choice based on several criteria, such as the domination perception of tourist from one destination (pull factor), self motivation (push factor) and the available time and money (situational constraints).