Using group comparisons in AMOS to explore shopping as a travel driver

Purpose – This study seeks to achieve two objectives: first, to expand on Fodness's five‐dimensional travel motivation scale by empirically demonstrating that a sixth driving force – shopping – encourages tourists to visit particular destinations; and second, to provide a clear demonstration for using AMOS structural equation modeling to analyze group comparisons, which researchers could employ in future studies. Design/methodology/approach – The study offers and evaluates a proposed higher‐order travel motivation structural model using confirmatory factor analysis and path analysis. It also explores a tourist's country of origin (the USA or Japan) as a moderator. The empirical study is supported through data from a convenient sample of 1,042 tourists (521 American and Japanese tourists, respectively) who were vacationing in Honolulu, Hawaii. Findings – The findings demonstrate that five of the six motivational forces encourage US and Japanese tourists to vacation in Honolulu. In addition, the results reveal that a tourist's country of origin moderates three motivational factors. Research limitations/implications – The study provides researchers and practitioners with a 22‐item six‐dimensional travel motivational scale. Given that travel motivation is linked to customer satisfaction and loyalty, researchers should consider the travel‐quality scale (TRAVLQUAL). Although one of Fodness's five dimensions was not significant, the finding was based on tourists' motivations to visit one site, Honolulu, and thus researchers should not eliminate this dimension from future motivational studies. Originality/value – The study links together the tourism shopping and travel motivation paradigms. Thus, it can be used as an easy‐to‐follow reference guide for exploring group comparisons with AMOS.