Effect of Purchase Influence of The Child on The Relationship Between Inclusivity and Child Participation in Leisure Travel Within A Family Setting

Children's influence on family purchase decisions in leisure travel is growing. However, there remains a significant gap in understanding how this purchase influence affects the relationship between inclusivity and participation outcomes. Previous research has predominantly focused on adult preferences while overlooking how children's purchase influence shapes both inclusivity efforts and participation in family leisure travel. This study aimed to investigate the effect of Purchase Influence of the Child on the relationship between Inclusivity and Child Participation in leisure travel within a family setting. The research was grounded in muted group theory and standpoint theory, which provided frameworks for understanding how children's purchasing power affects their inclusion and participation in leisure travel. A concurrent mixed-method research design was employed, utilizing both quantitative and qualitative approaches. Data was collected from 378 parents through questionnaires and 9 children through interviews across four major leisure destinations in Nairobi City County. The reliability analysis yielded a Cronbach's alpha of 0.809. Data analysis employed descriptive statistics and logistic regression. Results revealed that purchase influence of the child significantly moderates the relationship between inclusivity and participation in leisure travel, evidenced by an increase in R² from 58.1% to 70.9% after introducing the purchase influence variable. The regression analysis showed a positive and statistically significant influence of children's purchase influence on this relationship (β=.301, p = 0.000). The study concludes that children's purchase influence serves as a crucial moderating factor in strengthening the relationship between inclusivity initiatives and participation outcomes in family leisure travel. The study recommends that leisure travel providers develop targeted marketing strategies that acknowledge children as primary stakeholders and implement child-centric product and services development approaches. Keywords: Purchase, Child, Inclusivity, Child Participation, Leisure Travel, Family Setting