UNDERSTANDING ADVENTURE TOURISM INTENTIONS IN THE ANDAMAN ISLANDS: A THEORETICAL APPROACH TO EXPERIENCE-DRIVEN ENGAGEMENT

Adventure tourism is gaining traction as a thrilling way to explore, challenge oneself, and connect with nature. The Andaman Islands, with their stunning biodiversity and landscapes, are a prime spot for this in India. This paper proposes a framework to understand what drives tourists to choose adventure tourism there, using the Theory of Planned Behaviour, Value-Belief-Norm Theory, and Experience Economy Framework. It pinpoints novelty seeking, environmental awareness, and social influence as key factors shaping tourists intentions, with perceived value of adventure experiences acting as a mediator. The framework sheds light on how tourists make decisions in nature-based adventure travel. It provides practical insights for tourism marketers, policymakers, and destination managers to create sustainable, exciting adventure offerings. The paper also suggests directions for future research and testing.