**5.1. The attraction of nature and humanistic tourism resources**

*4.2.4. Seeking peer companionship*

78 Mobilities, Tourism and Travel Behavior - Contexts and Boundaries

*4.2.5. Mastering social connections*

*4.2.6. Re-analysis*

The present study found that during the working holiday period, if there was insufficient tourism information and resources in the foreign country, having a companion was extremely beneficial to the generation of working holiday behaviors. The advantages were that WHMs had someone to rely on and could take care of each other. In addition, having a companion helped to reduce the anxiety and fear produced on a psychological level and boosted their courage to undertake a working holiday. As mentioned by one participant, *"After all, everything was very unfamiliar, and so with a companion abroad we could share our troubles and support each other in some circumstances" (C2, 2014)*. As working holidays involve traveling abroad for up to 1 year, they present a greater challenge to the young female population. Hence, the companionship of peers can mutually boost their courage, and when they encounter problems or setbacks, they will have someone to accompany them to resolve their problems. This will increase their willingness to travel abroad to participate in working holidays. In addition, due to considerations for personal safety, peer companionship is an important factor for females when participating in working holidays. As mentioned by one participant, *"I feel that especially for females, when you go somewhere unfamiliar and know nothing about the place, having someone to accompany you and to find your way together gives a very warm and different feeling. So, for girls, I* 

Long-term and long-distance cross-spatial movement will often lead to worries. Despite a lack of prior experience in traveling abroad, if WHMs have familiar social networks in their destination country (e.g., relatives, classmates, friends, etc.), it will help to enhance their willingness to participate in working holidays. As mentioned by one participant, *"Since someone I knew had migrated to Canada, even though it was unfamiliar, I felt more at ease because someone was over there" (C1, 2014).* In other words, social connections played an important role in working holidays in Australia, Canada, and Japan. Having someone to depend on in an unfamiliar country provided WHMs with peace of mind. In addition, social contacts can also increase the opportunities for employment and shorten the time taken for job searching during the working holiday, even enabling WHMs to find a job immediately after arriving in their destination country. Another participant stated, *"It is better if you have friends there. You can take care of each other. I got my first job through their recommendation, so I had quite a good job immediately, and did* 

Travel incentives on the level of psychology, income earning, and interpersonal relationships all had different extents of influence on the personal decision-making process of WHMs, which promoted their willingness to travel abroad to participate in working holidays. Specifically, the income earning dimension was both a restriction and an opportunity; hence, it was a "doubleedged sword." In other words, individual finances were one of the limiting factors that formed a travel obstacle; however, in terms of WHMs' motivation, working holidays were also a means

*recommend finding someone to boost each other's courage" (A1, 2014).*

*not need to spend too much time finding jobs" (C2, 2014).*

Due to the non-uniform distribution of resources among countries, whether a country has a unique natural landscape was an important factor for consideration when WHMs were deciding on a destination country. Natural sightseeing resources include terrains, climate, hydrology, ecology, etc. Aside from personal preferences, the "uniqueness" of tourism landscapes was generally mentioned as an important factor in decision making. For example, WHMs who traveled to Australia or Canada placed greater emphasis on the natural landscape. As stated by one participant, *"Uluru is quite famous" (A1, 2014).* Another participant also mentioned, *"The Rocky Mountains. I love magnificent landscapes, and Canada's environment was very attractive to me. I was also able to visit other parts of North America, see the auroras, and it snows in their climate" (C1, 2014).* Furthermore, the "exoticness" of the traveling environment, or the disparity of climate and ecological conditions compared to Taiwan also drove the motivation to travel. As mentioned by one participant, *"When I was young, I thought the maple leaves were very beautiful. I needed to go to a temperate country with maple leaves and beautiful autumns, so I went to Canada" (C4, 2014).* In other words, personally witnessing the natural landscape resources of foreign countries was the goal of some WHMs.

As for attraction to a country's humanistic history, as Taiwan was influenced by the colonial rule of the Japanese government, this has resulted in a curiosity and longing by WHMs toward Japanese culture. One participant said, *"I have loved Japanese culture since I was young and have always wanted to go traveling there" (J2, 2014)*. Furthermore, another aim of working holidays in Japan is to better experience the unique cultural resources in Japan, such as Japanese television dramas, anime, pop songs, authentic Japanese lifestyles, famous sites and architecture, and so on. Another participant stated, *"I usually watch Japanese dramas and anime, and listen to Japanese songs. I am also very interested in Japan's culture and local life" (J2, 2014)*. One participant also mentioned, *"Their history is full of flavor. You can see many places where they are different, and are worthy of consideration by Taiwanese people, regardless of whether it is tourism, infrastructure, culture, or historical sites" (J3, 2014).*
