From theoretical viewpoints, analyses of consumer motivation have been applied to the shopping and the tourism industry for decades. However, little research has been done on night markets or street vendors. According to the Statistical Information of Taiwan Tourism Bureau (2002 annual survey report on R.O.C. inbound travelers, Taipei, Tourism Bureau, 2003), Tourist Night Markets ranked among the top three most popular sight-seeing spots for tourists spending their leisure time in Taiwan. The objectives of this study are to understand tourists' motivations and their preferred leisure activities when they shop in Tourist Night Markets. With respect to the research methodology, this study employs an exploratory research style and adopts a convenience sampling method. The unit of analysis is the Hong Kong Chinese visitor. According to the research results, novelty-seeking, exercising and experiencing local culture and customs are the major factors that motivate tourists to shop in Tourist Night Markets. The results are: eating out overwhelmingly dominated the leisure activities (88.5%), followed by everyday shopping (56%), and novelty-seeking (32%). Existing problems in Taiwan Tourist Night Markets perceived by Hong Kong visitors are theft, parking and traffic issues. Suggestions for relevant governmental and city authorities are provided and research implications and limitations are also addressed. (c) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
