Beyond romance: unveiling the motivational dimensions and data-driven segments of international honeymoon travel behavior

Purpose Honeymoon travel is one of the most emotional types of tourism, combining love, identity and symbolic transformation. This research aims to examine the motivation factors behind the overseas travel of international honeymooners and how these motives give rise to distinct customer categories. By approaching the honeymoon as both a personal and social expression, this study investigates how emotional, relational and pragmatic aspects affect high-involvement consumption. Design/methodology/approach A sequential mixed-methods design was used in this study. Qualitative interviews yielded 37 motivational elements, which were validated by 540 international honeymoon visitors in Thailand. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis and k-means cluster segmentation were used to classify travelers. Findings Six motivational dimensions emerged: novelty, relational bonding, relaxation, financial planning, positive past experiences, social status and prestige. Five of this significantly predicted travel intention (R² = 0.47). Cluster analysis revealed three major segments: romantic explorers, relaxed escapists and value-prestige seekers, each representing a different combination of affective, pragmatic and symbolic drives. Originality/value This study contributes a refined motivation framework and an empirically grounded segmentation model for high-involvement tourism. The data show that honeymoon travel is a complex negotiation between emotion, identity and value, showing how love, memories and pragmatism influence consumer behavior.