Does Last Chance Tourism Motivate Visitors? An Examination of the Relationship between Last Chance Tourism and Destination Awareness

Last-chance tourism (LCT) refers to visiting disappearing landscapes, natural heritage, and social heritage before they are gone. Although previous research has established that LCT motivation exists among LCT visitors, its strength remains unknown. Furthermore, previous research on LCT has predominantly centered around famous travel destinations. Consequently, how LCT destinations with lower awareness are perceived by visitors is underexplored. Therefore, this study aims to understand whether LCT motivation acts as a primary motivator for potential visitors at two contrasting destinations and explore the interplay between LCT and destination awareness. A scenario-based survey was conducted, and the results indicated that LCT has an impact in combination with higher awareness only. This study contributes to the literature by demonstrating that high destination awareness is a crucial prerequisite for LCT features to act as a pull factor for tourists. To capitalize on LCT, destinations with lower awareness should first focus on increasing their awareness.