Title: American Jewish youth's attachment to Israel: implications for Israeli tourism

Authors: Stephen W. Litvin; Jill Alison Schancupp

Addresses: Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management, School of Business, College of Charleston, 66 George Street, Charleston, South Carolina, 29424, USA ' Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management, School of Business, College of Charleston, 66 George Street, Charleston, South Carolina, 29424, USA

Abstract: This paper explores an intersection of politics and tourism. The issue explored is the potential tourism effect of what some see as a changing attitude among American Jewish youth towards Israel. The authors have suggested that the current generation of American Jewish youth is losing its sense of attachment to Israel, with a disconnect between their innate liberalism and Israel's conservative politics. If a lessening of attachment is in fact occurring, what is the impact upon youth travel to Israel? This empirical study, built upon a foundation of previous research in the area of diaspora travel, reflects the relationship between attachment and travel variables, with results that should be of concern to the Israeli tourism industry.

Keywords: cultural identity; behavioural intentions; diaspora; Israel; Zionism; American Jewish youth; tourism industry; young people; attitudes; cultural attachment; liberalism; conservative politics; youth travel.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBG.2016.078406

International Journal of Business and Globalisation, 2016 Vol.17 No.2, pp.189 - 204

Received: 28 Mar 2015
Accepted: 04 Aug 2015

Published online: 16 Aug 2016 *

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