Chapter 3: Explaining Mindful Tourism in Indonesia: Applying the Protection Motivation Theory

The surge in global revenge tourism, characterised by travel undertaken as compensation for trips lost during the pandemic, underscores the need for a nuanced approach to promote mindful tourism. Mindful tourism entails heightened tourist awareness of their surroundings, facilitating a more enriching travel experience. This study aligns with the Protection Motivation Theory (PMT), positing that individuals are predisposed to fear in adverse conditions, such as the spread of viral diseases or unclean touristic environments. In response, both tourists and tourism providers activate internal mechanisms to assess conditions and undertake actions that preserve the enjoyment of touristic attractions. This chapter delves into the interplay between individual tourist mindfulness and the coping strategies employed by tourism providers, shedding light on adaptive behaviour during travel. A comprehensive understanding of these internal mechanisms, encompassing both demand (tourists) and supply (touristic destination employees) aspects, offers insights into achieving mindful tourism. A series of quantitative studies were employed to gain insight from both perspectives, utilising surveys and statistical analysis. In summary, mindful tourists exhibit superior coping mechanisms, fostering adaptive travel behaviour. Conversely, on the supply side, the efficacy of adaptive behaviour in serving tourists is bolstered when employees place trust in government-recommended measures, particularly those emphasising Cleanliness, Health, Safety, and Environment (CHSE) standards. These facts provide guidance on how to enforce adaptive recreation: employing a softer approach for tourists and a harder approach for touristic destination employees.