Abstract
Lifestyle migration refers to migration in the pursuit of hobbies and self-realization. Previous studies have found that lifestyle migrants often visit their target destinations prior to their migration, and these pre-migration visits likely have a significant impact on their migration decisions. Based on this knowledge, a qualitative research model was created to study the transition for the experience of tourism to the intention of lifestyle migration. The purpose of this study is to validate this model quantitatively. As a verification method, we applied “involvement,” which was created in social psychology by covariance structure analysis and was a concept expressing the feelings of consumers, who visited Okinawa with the intention of migrating, for consumer products in consumer behavior research. The results showed that having a positive experience of self-growth through tourism affects emotional connection with the place of visit, and this connection further affects the intention to migrate.
