Future journeys to find roots: insights from different generations of Southeast Asian Overseas Chinese diaspora tourists through a construal level theory perspective

Using construal level theory (CLT), this study examines how social, temporal, spatial, and hypothetical distances shape the future home visit intentions of Southeast Asian overseas Chinese diaspora tourists and unveils the underlying mechanisms and factors. In-depth interviews were conducted with 54 second- to fourth-generation residents who had visited China in the past five years, employing purposive and snowball sampling and content analysis. Findings reveal that second-generation tourists exhibit concrete, low-level construals driven by strong cultural intimacy and language proficiency, while the third- and fourth-generation adopt more abstract, high-level construals, favouring modern urban and trendy attractions over ancestral ties. Near-future travel plans are reinforced by accessible flights and China’s attractive ‘3A’ tourism offers of availability, accessibility, and affordability. By extending CLT into roots tourism, this research provides theoretical insights and practical guidance for targeted marketing strategies to attract diaspora tourists to their ancestral home.