Paper short abstract:

The study is based on a representative online survey that reveals individual travel motives (conative) and country images (cognitive) as well as different attitudes towards cultural differences (affective) of 255 round-the-world travellers which presents a new research design on tourism research.

Paper long abstract:

The study under consideration is based on a representative online survey that reveals individual travel motives (conative) and country images (cognitive) as well as different attitudes towards cultural differences (affective) of 255 selected round-the-world travellers (tour operator STA Travel) which presents a new research design on tourism research.

Most of these young world travellers are well educated, they spend little money while travelling and they become only loosely acquainted with people. To go on a world tour is often regarded as a beneficial break rather than an escape from daily routine. Interestingly, the most common underlying motive displayed by world travellers is the quest for the foreign itself and the unknown surrounding oneself. Moreover, most world travellers are profoundly influenced by a prevailing attitude towards ethnorelativism. Given an appropriate amount of personal flexibility and foresight, the subjective impression of foreign cultures and the constructive dealing with the foreign can ultimately benefit the home society.

Though, prevailing preferences for certain types of countries rarely change during a trip around the world. However, a traveller's longer stay in a foreign country definitely improves his image of this particular country and its local people.

In conclusion, both tourism research in general and travel business in particular will profit from the present findings, which shall enable future travellers - and locals - to make their world travelling safer, carefree, and a long-term success.