Institutional Predictors of Domestic Tourism Participation: How Organizational Structures Shape Travel Behaviour among Public University Employees

Abstract

This study examined influence of institutional predictors on domestic tourism participation among staff of Takoradi Technical University (TTU), Ghana, drawing on Institutional Theory. A descriptive survey design was used to collect data from 303 staff members selected through stratified and simple random sampling and data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests and a Kruskal-Wallis H test. The results showed that most staff underutilize their leave days for domestic tourism and perceive limited institutional support. Staff category was significantly associated with preferred travel timing, with teaching staff more inclined toward vacation travel and non-teaching staff more reliant on weekends, holidays and planned leave. The study finds that staff category is significantly associated with when staff prefer to travel, and that perceptions of institutional factors leave policy, workload distribution, financial support and communication of tourism initiatives differ significantly depending on staff's preferred travel period. These findings indicate that institutional structures are closely linked to staff's ability to time and schedule domestic travel, and the study recommends that institutions adopt more flexible, well-communicated and adequately resourced support systems.