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Travel motivations of seniors: A review and a meta-analytical assessment

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Abstract

Over the past decades, leisure travel has become increasingly popular in older segments of the world population, as a consequence of global factors such as a rise in life expectancy, improved health conditions, a higher disposable income and increased availability of discretionary time in retirement age. Consequently, researchers have become more interested in studying the motivations for travel of seniors. A number of questions may be raised or have been addressed in the recent past: What are the main factors explaining the travelling choices of seniors? Are their travel motivations different from the ones of the general population, which have been widely studied in the past? Are geographical differences in terms of motivations comparable between different age groups? Why is senior tourism a topic of particular interest with regard to Asia? In order to answer such questions, in this article, we provide a review of the literature on the travel motivations of seniors. On the basis of 29 articles published between 1988 and 2015 on the topic, we present a qualitative and meta-analytic assessment of past findings, by investigating the dimensions of travel motivations most frequently identified in past seniors surveys. Finally, we discuss a research agenda for further analysis of senior travel motivations and for the integration of this branch of travel research within the wider framework of senior tourism analysis and management.

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... According to Otoo et al. (2020), understanding the motivations of senior travellers is a significant contribution to the practice and knowledge of the senior tourism market. Senior travellers have a range of motivations, such as culture, nature, experience, adventure, relaxation, well-being, escape, socialisation, and self-esteem enhancement (Patuelli & Nijkamp, 2016). This segment discusses the motivations of individuals who have fewer work, family, and other obligations (Patuelli & Nijkamp, 2016). ...
... Senior travellers have a range of motivations, such as culture, nature, experience, adventure, relaxation, well-being, escape, socialisation, and self-esteem enhancement (Patuelli & Nijkamp, 2016). This segment discusses the motivations of individuals who have fewer work, family, and other obligations (Patuelli & Nijkamp, 2016). Life events such as retirement, divorce, widowhood, health, emotional state, and social relationships can either facilitate or constrain this group (Huber et al., 2018). ...
... Women travellers are particularly affected by some of these factors, which ultimately influence their travel decision-making. Motivation in tourism can be analysed through the Pull and Push categories (Carneiro et al., 2013;Patuelli & Nijkamp, 2016). Seniors' decisions are influenced by various internal factors of Pull origin, such as spirituality, health, work, money, and availability of company for travel (Widiyastuti & Ermawati, 2019). ...
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The trend of senior women travelling alone is increasing as they feel empowered and independent. With more resources available at this stage of life, they choose to travel without the company of acquaintances, but rather with strangers in similar circumstances. Although senior women travelling solo is an important market segment in tourism, few studies have been conducted to better understand this group. This study aims to address the gap in knowledge by exploring the motivations, needs, and perceived risks of senior women who travel alone or with other women. We conducted a qualitative empirical investigation using semi-structured interviews with a group of Brazilian senior women who travel solo. The results demonstrate that travellers’ motivations and needs have a significant impact on their choice of accommodation and activities. Meanwhile, their choice of destination is influenced by perceived risks, with safety and health being prioritised. Additionally, this demographic is more demanding in terms of services offered and prioritises comfort, amenities, and accessibility. Furthermore, our findings demonstrate that female solo travellers of advanced age are more affected by gender-related concerns than by their age during their journeys
... Senior travel has become topical among researchers and its potential to become the engine of tourism in the future has now emerged as an overgeneralized cliché. Studies projecting the value and potential contributions of the senior tourism market towards global economic development point to senior tourism as a solution to peak visitor spending and to counter balance off season problems and thereby creating economic stability for tourism suppliers and destinations (Hunter-Jones & Blackburn, 2007), a booster of health and wellbeing among the elderly (Patuelli & Nijkamp, 2016), and to function as a catalyst for an optimal quality of life (Hsu et al., 2007;Oliveira et al., 2018). Additionally, senior tourism as a special niche is a suitable substitute to compensate for the imbalance of destinations' tourist receipts that traditional sea-sun-sand resorts and destinations suffer (Garau-Vadell & de Borja-Solé, 2008). ...
... Thirdly, research into senior travel is mixed with inconsistencies in terms of establishing common behavior patterns (Patuelli & Nijkamp, 2016). Although previous studies (e.g. ...
... Amidst the recent global COVID-19 pandemic, health and safety issues can be both critical and topical for the travel industry with implications for future tourism. While these health and safety concerns are particularly pronounced among seniors' (Hunter-Jones & Blackburn, 2007;Hwang & Lee, 2019;Patuelli & Nijkamp, 2016), it stands to reason that certain markets exhibit more resilient traits; the U.S. market is a case in reference (Otoo & Kim, 2018). ...
Article
This research aims to conduct a cross cultural study of Mainland Chinese and the United States (U.S.) seniors’ personality traits and identify how they affect motivation, preferences, sociodemographic, and travel-related characteristics. Using samples of 496 Mainland Chinese and 532 U.S. senior responses, this research determined that three personality traits (psychocentric, midcentric, and allocentric) described U.S. senior participants and two personality traits (psychocentric and midcentric) described Mainland Chinese senior participants. Using a series of analytical tools including one-way ANOVA, regression, independent sample t-test, and chi-square tests, differences between senior tourists’ personality traits and other variables were determined across U.S. and Mainland Chinese senior samples and across the measurement constructs. Practical implications are discussed and recommendations for future research are provided.
... Considering demographic changes in modern society, seniors are projected to be one of the most important segments for the tourism industry (Otoo & Kim, 2018). Over the past decade, leisure travel has become more popular in older segments as a consequence global factors such as rise in life expectancy, better health conditions, higher disposable income and more availability of discretionary time in retirement age (Patuelli & Nijkamp, 2016). In fact, senior tourism presents a market with significant potential. ...
... On the other hand, concerning the socio-personal perspective, travel contributes to the improvement of quality of life and promotes active ageing (Otoo & Kim, 2018). Also according to these authors, in an overview of the senior travel motivation literature, it is possible to sum up some perspectives: b) Patuelli and Nijkamp (2016) identified the key senior motives of travel culture/nature, experience/ adventure, relaxation/well-being/escape, socialization, and selfesteem/ego-enhancement. ...
... Undoubtedly, it is a process that requires time and insight, as senior tourists are very faithful to their convictions, not only looking for excellence in a destination, but also moments of relaxation and conviviality. In this age group it is essential that the tourist feels accompanied, safe and above all valued as a person (Patuelli & Nijkamp, 2016). These are requirements that needed to be taken into consideration for managerial and marketing decisions. ...
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This research was developed in the frame of the VOLTO JÁ Project, which aims to implement a senior social exchange program in Portugal, among social economy organizations to promote tourism experiences for the elderly. The main goal of the research is to present a three-stage model of designing and evaluating tourism experiences in senior mobility, named as the OEC Model. This model was established based on a set of data collection instruments, which were chosen according to the goals of each stage of the process, in the context of the VOLTO JÁ Project. The results of stage one and three of the model considered as a more integrated approach on designing and evaluating senior tourism experiences are presented. The findings highlight the importance of a pre-stage in what concerns organizing the tourism experience (supply perspective); and a post-stage assessing senior´s perceptions after the experience (demand perspective). Resumo: A investigação teve por base o projeto Volto Já que teve como missão implementar um programa de intercâmbio de turismo social sénior em Portugal em organizações de economia social, de modo a promover experiências turísticas para os mais idosos. O principal objetivo da pesquisa consistiu em apresentar um modelo base assente em três fases que sustentou o desenho e avaliação de experiências turísticas das mobilidades de turismo sénior, com a designação de modelo OEC. Este modelo foi desenvolvido tendo por base um conjunto de instrumentos de recolha de dados, selecionados de acordo com os objetivos de cada fase do processo, enquadrado no projeto Volto Já. Os resultados resultam da operacionalização da 1.ª e 3ª fase do modelo dando uma perspetiva integrada do desenho e avaliação das experiências turísticas dos séniores. Os resultados evidenciam a importância da 1.ª fase (pré-mobilidade) no que concerne a organização da experiência turística (perspetiva da oferta turística) e a fase pós mobilidade permite compreender as perceções depois da experiência (perspetiva da procura turística).
... Considering demographic changes in modern society, seniors are projected to be one of the most important segments for the tourism industry (Otoo & Kim, 2018). Over the past decade, leisure travel has become more popular in older segments as a consequence global factors such as rise in life expectancy, better health conditions, higher disposable income and more availability of discretionary time in retirement age (Patuelli & Nijkamp, 2016). In fact, senior tourism presents a market with significant potential. ...
... On the other hand, concerning the socio-personal perspective, travel contributes to the improvement of quality of life and promotes active ageing (Otoo & Kim, 2018). Also according to these authors, in an overview of the senior travel motivation literature, it is possible to sum up some perspectives: b) Patuelli and Nijkamp (2016) identified the key senior motives of travel culture/nature, experience/ adventure, relaxation/well-being/escape, socialization, and selfesteem/ego-enhancement. ...
... Undoubtedly, it is a process that requires time and insight, as senior tourists are very faithful to their convictions, not only looking for excellence in a destination, but also moments of relaxation and conviviality. In this age group it is essential that the tourist feels accompanied, safe and above all valued as a person (Patuelli & Nijkamp, 2016). These are requirements that needed to be taken into consideration for managerial and marketing decisions. ...
Article
Full-text available
This research was developed in the frame of the VOLTO JÁ Project, which aims to implement a senior social exchange program in Portugal, among social economy organizations to promote tourism experiences for the elderly. The main goal of the research is to present a three-stage model of designing and evaluating tourism experiences in senior mobility, named as the OEC Model. This model was established based on a set of data collection instruments, which were chosen according to the goals of each stage of the process, in the context of the VOLTO JÁ Project. The results of stage one and three of the model considered as a more integrated approach on designing and evaluating senior tourism experiences are presented. The findings highlight the importance of a pre-stage in what concerns organizing the tourism experience (supply perspective); and a post-stage assessing senior´s perceptions after the experience (demand perspective).
... The global COVID-19 epidemic has serious implications for future tourism, making health and safety considerations for the travel sector urgent and important. Wealthier, healthier, more technologically connected, and savvier than previous generations (Patuelli & Nijkamp, 2016;Patterson, 2018), older travellers are searching for more than just decent accommodations when travelling because they are living longer, in better health, travel off peak season and have more spare time. ...
... One thing is certain: the demand situation and people's purchasing habits will change dramatically (Meiners and Seeberger, 2010), particularly in today's context. Older travellers are highlighted as a solution to peak visitor spending and offseason problems, creating economic stability for tourism suppliers and destinations (Hunter-Jones & Blackburn, 2007), a booster of health and wellbeing (Patuelli & Nijkamp, 2016), and a catalyst for an optimal quality of life in studies that project the value and potential contributions of the older people tourism market to global economic development (Hunter-Jones & Blackburn, 2007;Otoo et alt., 2021). Tourism stakeholders must have a thorough understanding of the shifts, direction, and repercussions to gain a competitive edge and develop efficient marketing strategies that adapt to the demands and preferences of altering and evolving visitor profiles. ...
Article
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Ageing transcends age and goes beyond the older generations. Awareness of the way older individuals behave in tourism beyond clichés, labels and stereotypes and a clearer perspective of the economic benefits of the silver economy for companies in general and the tourism sector in particular is critical.Tourism providers, governments, and stakeholders in many developed countries of the world have identified older travellers as a priority market because of global demographic changes and the increased participation of older individuals in tourism and leisure activities. Despite the fact that the tourism industry is experiencing its most difficult period in history as a result of COVID-19, an increasingly healthy older individuals market segment with financial means to travel for leisure and a desire to visit new places holds enormous potential for cultural heritage and tourism.Methodology: In order to better understand the need and wants, some gaps in the literature have been identified in relation to the need to comprehend the requirements and expectations of an ageing population in order to have a better grasp of future tourism trends related to older travellers (Huang and Tsai 2003; Lehto et al. 2008), as well as the awareness of the potential economic value of the silver economy, which is less understood (McGuirk et al., 2021). In numerous ways, the increased demand for travel by older individuals presents a challenge for tourism professionals (Bakucz et al., 2021).Objectives: The aim of this article is twofold: to increase awareness and understanding of a yet misunderstood and undervalued market segment, beyond stereotypes and clichés and (2) to contribute to the tourism industry in terms of practical considerations.Findings: The findings regarding awareness and practical implications aid stakeholders in gaining a better understanding of older travellers and the need to meet the changing needs and expectations of an ageing population.
... Business travellers who are also tourists often consider their age when choosing an accommodation since individual age differences have an influence on tourist experience (Woyo et al., 2019). Age is regarded as an important variable in determining tourist behaviour, especially as travellers visit tourist destinations (Patuelli & Nijkamp, 2016). Several studies have examined the influence of age on the tourist experience of accommodation and satisfaction (Allaberganov & Preko, 2021;Nella & Christou, 2021;Stumpf et al., 2020). ...
... Young travellers also appear to be dominant in the global tourism market (Ramadhania et al., 2021). Research also concludes that older and middle-aged tourists constitute a sizable portion of tourists who visit destinations that provide a safe, quiet, friendly, conducive climate and quality of accommodation (Chen & Tsai, 2019;Patuelli & Nijkamp, 2016). Talón-Ballestero et al. (2018) found that age is relevant for hotel accommodation services and special attention should be provided to improve guests' satisfaction. ...
Article
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Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, national lockdowns, and their impact on travel and tourism, studies relating to inbound tourism are not only important but a necessity. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate how age, gender, and employment status influence the tourist experience of the quality of accommodation and ancillary services provided in South Africa. Using a web-based data collection method, 319 questionnaires were statistically analysed. The findings from the study revealed that no significant differences existed amongst the different genders of the respondents based on their experiences of the quality of accommodation and ancillary services. However, significant differences were found between various age groups and the quality of accommodation and ancillary services. The study further found that tourists with different employment statuses do not hold different views of the quality of accommodation and ancillary services. Based on the findings, valuable recommendations are offered that could be used by tourism destinations and the government in South Africa to attract inbound tourists. For example, tourist destinations could divide their markets into groups based on age to improve the quality of their accommodations and other services.
... Earlier studies indicate that there are various purposes and reasons that drive older adults to undertake tourism activities. The most important 'push' factors of senior tourists have been identified as improving health and wellness (Harvey et al., 2019;Lewis and D'Alessandro, 2019;Zolotovskiy and Stelnik, 2019), escape and relaxation (Alén et al., 2014;Le Serre et al., 2013;Mungall et al., 2010;Patuelli and Nijkamp, 2016;Shavanddasht, 2018), novelty and knowledge-seeking (Chen and Shoemaker, 2014;Woo et al., 2016), self-fulfilment and spirituality (Musa and Sim, 2010;Woo et al., 2016) and socialization and spending time with family (Chen and Shoemaker, 2014;Prayag, 2012;Wijaya et al., 2018). ...
... After consideration of expert inputs, status and pride was included under push factors since status and pride/ ego enhancement as a sole push factor has not been explored much except for few researchers (Chen and Shoemaker, 2014;Patuelli and Nijkamp, 2016) in the arena of push factors of senior tourists. Also, a recent study by corroborates that senior tourists are the typical market segment that would showcase status motivations, who, having plenty of discretionary time and money are driven to pursue leisure travel, in order to fulfil the dreams from a younger age and to celebrate the triumphs of a welllived life. ...
Article
The purpose of this study is to develop and validate a multi-dimensional scale on factors affecting senior citizens’ behavioural intentions to travel in terms of approach and avoidance. The study is longitudinal in nature and has used a mixed-method approach (qualitative and quantitative) to collect and confirm a series of indicators concerning the different constructs. Under study 1, a pool of items was generated by conducting industry expert survey and reviewing the existing literature. Afterwards, Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was performed for extracting the distinct factors. Under study 2, Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was performed to validate the proposed scale. The results of EFA and CFA revealed six dimensions of push factors, three dimensions of pull factors, two dimensions of perceived travel risks, three dimensions of perceived travel constraints and two dimensions of behavioural intentions of senior citizen tourists. Under pull factors, two additional dimensions were found, namely, familiarity and friendliness quotient of a destination as well as health safety and security quotient of a destination and under perceived travel constraints, outbreak of COVID-19 has been identified as a novel structural constraint. Since there is very limited research on senior citizens’ behavioural intentions to travel, the current study adds to the body of knowledge by identifying the additional factors that affect the same. Further, the study develops and validates the items through qualitative and quantitative analysis.
... Ultimately, the push-pull theory has been the most applied theoretical argument to explain why senior tourists are attracted to destinations (pull) and feel the need to leave their home countries (push; Alén et al., 2017;S. Kim & Lee, 2002;Otoo & Kim, 2020;Patuelli & Nijkamp, 2016;Sie et al., 2016). In their review of several senior tourist publications, Otoo and Kim (2020) concluded that senior tourists' motivations are not simply the products of pull and push factors. ...
... The motivation for "experiencing culture/nature" received the second highest mean score (grand mean = 4.44). The great desire for "experiencing culture/ nature" as a senior motivation was consistent with the results of previous studies (Otoo & Kim, 2020;Patuelli & Nijkamp, 2016;Sangpikul, 2008a). In terms of destination attractiveness, numerous destinations, including developing ones, are rich in natural and cultural heritage that can be marketed to seniors. ...
Article
The global increase in the elderly population has a direct influence on the travel, tourism, and hospitality sector because senior travelers have become major consumers. Therefore, developing a deeper understanding of senior motivations for overseas travel is required. However, the presence of theoretical and practical gaps limits the comprehension of this demographic market. Thus, this research sought to identify the underlying dimensionality and measurement of senior travel motivations and developed a scale to measure them. In addition, it validated the scale across future travel behaviors and preferences for tourism types and sites. An eight-factor structure of senior travel motivations was generated. The overall construct satisfied a series of convergent, discriminant, and nomological validity tests. Furthermore, the scale demonstrated a predictive explanatory power for profiling the future travel behavior and preference of seniors.
... Studies conducted in Asian countries have shown that Asian seniors are increasingly educated and independent, and have more time and discretionary income for travel (Huang & Tsai, 2003). For example, Asian countries such as China, Korea, Taiwan, and Japan have reached remarkable economic positions that contribute to the senior travel market globally (Patuelli & Nijkamp, 2016). ...
... The definition of the term "senior" is a notable issue in the literature. Although their calendar age usually identifies seniors, there appears to be no consensus on the minimum age of a senior (Patuelli & Nijkamp, 2016). A United Nations' (2013) report provided the following classification: children and adolescents are those below the age of 20 years; young adults are those between the ages of 20 and 39 years; middleaged adults are those between the ages of 40 and 59 years; and older persons are those more than the age of 60 years. ...
Article
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This study aims to identify the tourists’ expectation and satisfaction of destination attributes from the perspective of senior tourists in Malaysia. Two groups of tourists were chosen as the study sample, that is, future seniors (40–54 years old) and seniors (55 years old and above). It is hoped that, through recognizing and raising awareness on the need for equal traveling opportunities, senior tourists and future senior tourists will be encouraged to undertake more tourism activities. An importance-performance analysis (IPA) and paired sample t tests were employed to investigate senior tourists’ perceptions of senior-friendly destination attributes. Measures of destination attributes included the “4As” (i.e., attractions, accessibility, amenities, and ancillary services). The findings from a survey of 227 respondents revealed that the most important attributes for a senior-friendly destination are safety and cleanliness. Other attributes deemed important by senior tourists include the availability of leisure facilities and barrier-free public transportation. The findings also highlight attributes that tourism industry practitioners may use to improve tourists’ satisfaction and develop into competitive advantages against other tourist destinations. Both theoretical and practical implications of these important findings are discussed.
... This paper posits that a degree of substitution may well occur between tourism and leisure that is better framed by embracing a more gerontological-informed approach, as advocated in other studies [67,68] but which has failed to transform the study of ageing and tourism to date. Despite a proliferation of research on tourism and ageing in recent years [see the reviews [69][70][71]] there is a heavy demand-side focus (e.g. the consumer) as highlighted earlier, ranging from quantitative analyses of ageing markets (see Ref. [72]), tourism preferences [73], motivations and lived experiences [74], through to specific country studies. There has been little in-depth analysis of supply-side issues (i.e. ...
... Social Impact Theory (SIT) is commonly used in research on the impact of reference group dimensions. In other words, Social Impact Theory (SIT) has been widely used in the study of the influence of reference groups through revealing the process of recognition, imitation, and internalisation (Roberto & Peter, 2016). It is due to limited cognitive abilities and diverse tourism activities that seniors' behavioural intentions are significantly influenced by reference groups' opinions. ...
... Based on textual data collected through in-depth interviews, Hsu et al. (4) found that the long-term CBM decisions of seniors between Hong Kong and mainland China are affected by both push-pull factors (e.g., living expenses and housing conditions) and life course determinants (e.g., past life experiences and previous housing history). Regarding short-term CBM on the other hand, some studies have found that culture and nature (e.g., visiting parks and rural or arts attractions), experience and adventure (e.g., traveling for enjoyment, escaping from one's everyday routine, and novelty), and self-worth (e.g., visiting places where friends have not been or staying aligned with the travel experiences others engage in) are important correlates of choosing travel across borders (7). ...
Article
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The onset of the COVID-19 outbreak led to widespread adoption of mobility intervention policies, which were widely regarded as effective measures to control the spread of the virus. The initial pandemic wave, accompanied by the enforcement of mobility intervention policies, greatly changed human mobility patterns, especially cross-border mobility (CBM). This study investigates the impact of the first wave of the pandemic and related mobility intervention policies on the CBM of the senior population between Shenzhen and Hong Kong. Based on anonymous mobile phone trajectory data from 17 million devices active in Shenzhen spanning December 2019 to May 2020, we consider the implementation of mobility intervention policies during different stages of pandemic in both cities. We adopt interrupted time series (ITS) analysis to explore the causal effects of different mobility intervention policies on the CBM of older people between Hong Kong and Shenzhen. We find that most mobility intervention policies have a significant abrupt or gradual effect on the CBM of older people, especially in the 60–64 age group. As these policies neglect the mobility needs and characteristics among the senior groups, such as visiting relatives or friends and seeking medical treatment across borders, we suggest that more coordinated and integrated policies and measures are required to address the CBM needs of older people in Shenzhen and Hong Kong, especially in the post-pandemic era.
... Senior tourism has been extensively studied with regard to its economic and social impacts on destinations [4], its contribution to the promotion of destinations [5] and its relationship with the development of educational policies aimed at improving the well-being of seniors [6,7]. ...
Article
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In recent years geoparks, helped by governmental policies, have become tourist destinations especially among senior visitors. The paper aimed to analyse whether geoparks contribute to improving the health of tourists older than 65 years and what were their main motives to visit geoparks. The data were collected from 398 senior tourists who visited the Villuerca- Ibores-Jara Geopark (Spain) in 2023, presenting our results using SmartPLS version 4. The results showed that senior tourists are very interested in visiting this geopark for psychotherapeutic reasons, given its high environmental and geological interest. In addition, they consider geoparks as spaces where they can socialise, which is beneficial considering the isolation that many often experience during the year. These findings are highly relevant for public authorities to protect, maintain and promote geoparks among senior tourists.
... According to Zieli'nska-Szczepkowska (2021), one of the factors that elderly travelers consider while picking a favorite destination is nature. Patuelli and Nijkamp (2016) recognize the importance of culture and nature in senior travel, which also benefit seniors. The elderly desire to improve their quality of life, hence, the role of food. ...
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Agritourism as a niche form of tourism is starting to capture the interest of senior tourists seeking leisure travel that promotes better health and active aging. This study provides a descriptive-quantitative approach to agritourism demand during COVID-19 in the case of selected Filipino seniors in the National Capital Region, Philippines. Using a survey questionnaire, the proponents obtained two hundred elderly respondents through quota sampling to assess their motivations, preferential activities, and constraints of agritourism experience during the pandemic. The most significant reasons seniors engage in agritourism are entertainment and education as the least insignificant. Despite the pandemic, they are highly interested in experiencing agritourism products and services, particularly the direct sales and marketing of farm products. Generally, they do not consider many constraints except on sanitation and health protocols. The study findings can be a basis for promoting and developing agritourism in rural areas by diversifying farms to tend to the needs and wants of the aging market. Farmers can also explore agritourism practices, activities, possible facilities, products, and services for seniors during the pandemic.
... According to Zielińska-Szczepkowska (2021), older tourists are mostly interested in destination offer elements such as safety, natural beauty, historical places, service quality and traffic accessibility. Patuelli and Nijkamp (2016) pointed out that older tourists are an important market segment, primarily interested in destinations that offer them peace, culture, preserved environment, climate, quality of life and which are affordable. In a study about how destination attributes can be used for promotion purposes, based on the example of Udaipur (Rajasthan, India), Singh and Tiwari (2016) found significant differences in tourists' attitudes according to their age. ...
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Personal characteristics have an important role in shaping tourists’ attitudes. The purpose of this study is to examine tourists’ attitudes to elements of the tourist offer of the city of Belgrade, the main urban destination in the Republic of Serbia. The primary research aim is to examine the influence of these personal characteristics on such attitudes. A survey was conducted on a sample of 319 tourists, who visited the city. The collected data were processed in the statistical program SPSS25 while the formed hypotheses were tested using appropriate statistical tests. The research results indicated that tourists highly rated the diversity of the gastronomic offer and the quality of nightlife, while organized tours for visiting tourist attractions and the quality of traffic infrastructure were ranked as elements in which there are opportunities for improvement. Further, the research results showed that origin and education influenced differences in tourists’ attitudes. The theoretical and practical implications as well as research limitations are defined, and recommendations made for the future research based on the theoretical background and research results.
... On the basis of the research method in Section 3, 30 economic, social, political, cultural, and natural factors driving the development of RSHTUE were extracted from the demand and supply, as shown in Figure 2 [81]. Accordingly, increasing disposable income is the material basis for the elderly to improve their physical and mental health through tourism [58]; it is also the main driving factor for the emergence of senior leisure tourism [82,83]. Pak [84] argued that an increase in pension income could raise the frequency of the elderly traveling. ...
Article
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In China, rural summer health tourism for the urban elderly (RSHTUE) is growing rapidly, but the drivers of RSHTUE development have not been systematically explored. First, this study conducted semi-structured interviews with operators, village leaders, local government staff, and elderly tourists in Zhongyuan Township, Jiangxi Province, China: a typical township for developing RSHTUE. Second, interview data were thematically coded to extract the preliminary drivers. Third, the preliminary drivers supported by the literature or original interview quotes were considered the final drivers. Lastly, subcategories and categories were extracted from the final drivers by thematic coding to form a framework of drivers for RSHTUE development. The results show that the framework driving RSHTUE development includes two categories: demand and supply. Nine demand drivers were clustered into four subcategories: economic, social, cultural, and natural. A total of 21 supply drivers were clustered into five subcategories: economic, social, political, cultural, and natural. This study enriches the knowledge of RSHTUE development drivers. The literature supporting each driver was systematically reviewed. RSHTUE-relevant participants can use these drivers to identify villages’ suitability for developing RSHTUE and to explore countermeasures for the sustainable development of RSHTUE. The literature on each driver can provide support for subsequent studies.
... Fig. 1 shows the tourism customer pyramid. Patuelli and Nijkamp (2016) have stated that the rapid increase in the number of elderly people provides many job opportunities in the field of economic activities, including the tourism industry, and since elderly people who are at their retirement age have more free time, they have more savings and less monetary and financial obligations, and in addition, they have less professional activities and family responsibilities. Based on the experiences of Gu and colleagues (Gu, Zhu, Brown, Hoenig & Zeng, 2015) in their research, a relaxing tourism experience has increased the overall quality of life in the elderly tourists and improved their health. ...
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The pattern of population growth in the world shows a growing trend towards old age, and this itself has become the origin of creating a global approach in the 21st century. With the increase in the rate of aging in the world population and the increase in the number of elderly people, one of the industries for which this part of the market seems attractive in the last few decades is the tourism industry. Medical tourism is one of the proper activities for the elderly to bring back and improve their physical and mental aspects. Due to the fact that understanding the destination selection process of elderly medical tourists is very important for governments, tourism organizations and tour operators in the field of global competition, in this research, first by reviewing the literature in the field of medical tourism for the elderly, the necessary dimensions and indicators present in the medical tourism destinations required by this group of health tourists have been identified, and in the next step, using the analytical methodology of "interpretive structural modeling", the relationships between dimensions and factors affecting the choice of health tourism destination from the perspective of elderly medical tourists have been determined and analyzed in an integrated manner. The results of this study indicate that the factors of medical centers having specialized and trained human resources in various medical-psychiatric aspects related to elderly medical tourists, humanitarian view and proper treatment of doctors and medical staff, the existence of comfort and recreational facilities around the medical centers to increase the comfort and security of tourists, the ability of hospitals and medical centers to provide services, suitable accommodation facilities for elderly medical tourists, and reducing the visit and examination time of elderly medical tourists are among the most important and prominent indicators necessary to attract elderly medical tourists to a health tourism destination.
... However, the interrelationship between these factors has not been explored in any of the abovementioned studies. Previous research has found that status, family time, spiritual enlightenment, novelty, escape and relaxation and improving well-being are all "push factors" for senior travelers (Patuelli and Nijkamp, 2016;Wijaya et al., 2019;Moal-Ulvoas, 2017;Chen and Shoemaker, 2014;Shavandasht, 2018;Zolotovskiy and Stelnik, 2019). "Pull factors" that are important for senior tourists include friendliness and familiarity, health safety and security and ease of consumption of tourism experiences (Hajra and Aggarwal, 2022). ...
Article
Purpose To cater to the senior tourist market, it is essential to comprehend the factors motivating and deterring them from international travel post-COVID-19. This study aims to focus on senior citizens’ destination choice intentions and aims to develop a model that prioritizes positive and negative factors leading to international travel destination choices. It uses push–pull factors, perceived travel risks (PTRs) and perceived travel constraints (PTCs). Design/methodology/approach Decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) and fuzzy technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution (Fuzzy TOPSIS) are two multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) techniques used to identify connections between variables and determine their relative importance in the decision-making model. Findings DEMATEL found push and pull factors are “effects” while PTCs and PTRs are “causes” affecting senior citizens’ destination choices. Push factors and PTCs have a greater impact than pull factors and PTRs. Fuzzy TOPSIS highlighted “improving health and wellness” and “self-fulfillment and spirituality” as key push factors, “health safety and security quotient” as the most important pull factor, and “interpersonal constraints” as the most critical PTC. Finally, “health risks” is the top PTR. Originality/value This paper adds to the tourism literature by looking at the relationship between senior tourists’ motivation, PTRs and PTCs and showing how the subfactors affect their choice of destination rank. The data analysis techniques used in this study are also novel, having never been used before in senior tourism research. Finally, even though there is a lot of research on senior tourism, not much is known about how Indian senior tourists act. In light of this study’s findings, practical recommendations were offered to tourism stakeholders worldwide, interested in tapping into the market of Indian outbound senior tourists or repositioning product or destination offerings to take this promising market or similar markets into account.
... To avoid endogeneity, regional socioeconomic variables were selected from the China Statistical Yearbook at the beginning of the corresponding period, lagging migration flows by five years [56,92]. The shortest railway travel time by railway was obtained from the China Railway Timetable during the same time period [93][94][95][96][97][98]. ...
Article
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The supply and demand of labour in the market can often experience profound transformations as a result of an ageing population. This can substantially impact the sustainable development of human society. Since the 1970s, China’s internal migration has continued to increase, but there has been a shift toward an ageing trend since the year 2000. How does the change of age structure interact with socioeconomic development to produce changes in the supply and demand of labour over space and time? This study constructs a spatial dynamic panel data model of interprovincial migration flows in China from 1985 to 2015 in order to quantify the spatiotemporal impacts of age structure on migration. The preliminary results indicate that age structure plays the most important role among regional socioeconomic characteristics of migration, dominated by the large supply, demand, and cross elasticities of labour population. Labour demand and the cross elasticities of total dependency ratio rank second. Comparatively, the total elasticities of regional GDP and wage levels on migration flows are not as significant as expected. This study lays the groundwork for identifying the interaction mechanisms of migration systems and provides important insights on regional sustainable development from the perspective of ageing.
... Many studies on tourism motivation exist, some studying motives for traveling to specific sites (Collins-Kreiner and Kliot 2000), tourism niches (Hassani and Moghavvemi 2019;Heung and Leong 2006;, senior tourists (Boksberger and Laesser 2008;Otoo et al. 2021;Patuelli and Nijkamp 2016;Vigolo 2017), or in general (Heitmann 2011), others to propose scales or dimensions of motivations (Crompton 1979;Pearce and Caltabiano 1983), among others. These studies are particularly important to tourism marketing, and therefore to tourism (G)RS, so better and more tailored services and products can be delivered to tourists. ...
Article
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To travel in leisure is an emotional experience, and therefore, the more the information about the tourist is known, the more the personalized recommendations of places and attractions can be made. But if to provide recommendations to a tourist is complex, to provide them to a group is even more. The emergence of personality computing and personality-aware recommender systems (RS) brought a new solution for the cold-start problem inherent to the conventional RS and can be the leverage needed to solve conflicting preferences in heterogenous groups and to make more precise and personalized recommendations to tourists, as it has been evidenced that personality is strongly related to preferences in many domains, including tourism. Although many studies on psychology of tourism can be found, not many predict the tourists’ preferences based on the Big Five personality dimensions. This work aims to find how personality relates to the choice of a wide range of tourist attractions, traveling motivations, and travel-related preferences and concerns, hoping to provide a solid base for researchers in the tourism RS area to automatically model tourists in the system without the need for tedious configurations, and solve the cold-start problem and conflicting preferences. By performing Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis on the data gathered from an online questionnaire, sent to Portuguese individuals from different areas of formation and age groups (n = 1035), we show all five personality dimensions can help predict the choice of tourist attractions and travel-related preferences and concerns, and that only neuroticism and openness predict traveling motivations.
... According to the literature, the mature and elderly population has been fully investigated (Al en et al., 2014;Oliveira et al., 2018). Studies are based on affection, travel motivation and intention (Jang et al., 2009); promotional travelling to islands (You et al., 2000); seniors' educational tourism (Patuelli and Nijkamp, 2016); health-care provision and better social welfare schemes (Otoo and Kim, 2018); social and economic development (Chand and Tung, 2014;Jang and Wu, 2006); and the need to visit serene and adventure holidays places out of the daily routine, the workplace and social needs and to experience something unique or unusual (Chang et al., 2020;Zhang et al., 2021). ...
Article
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Purpose According to the theory of push and pull factors, the current work aims to present two objectives: (1) to detect what attributes drive senior tourists to travel to the Azores islands, the role played by lecturing activities (LA) as push factors and their influence on the island's offer (pull factors) are analysed; and (2) to understand the personal and contextual barriers of tourists to provide information to the agents who form part of the tourism supply process on the island. Design/methodology/approach The data has been processed using the statistical package SmartPLS version 26. Using an exploratory methodology based on structural equation modeling (SEM) structural equations applied to small sample sizes, a tentative model has been generated to define the drivers of tourism for elderly people who visit the islands. Findings The research study reveals that LA are the key factor in completing the offering of tourist destinations in the Azores. Educational packages should be made available to senior tourists. Likewise, several tourism barriers, such as flight times, cost of the trip, concern about the safety of destinations, type of accommodation, language difficulties and medical and health care should also be revised by tourism authorities and flight stakeholders with regard to the Azores Islands. Research limitations/implications The reduced sample has made the results impossible to show greater predictive power. Practical implications The role played by push factors, such as lecturing or educational activities, and pull factors, such as the tourism offering by the island, allows us to envisage educational packages based on the preferences of senior tourists, such as attending lectures on the history of the Azores, gastronomy (traditional food), active ageing flora, and interesting facts and legends of the islands. Social implications As a push factor, social interaction has become the main motivation among senior tourists. Such tourists have conveyed not only their desire to meet other tourists but also their interest in socialising in tourist activities, relaxing and visiting other new places. Originality/value Even though LA are relatively common among university students and those with bachelor's degrees, educational packages for senior tourism are now gaining in popularity. Better socio-economic conditions worldwide and easier access to education for mature people have allowed them to expand their knowledge by travelling to exotic destinations such as the Azores. This paper links that interest with barriers to travel as well as to the Azores' rich touristic offering.
... For example, the motivation for shopping in the city, for the search for pleasure and fun and save money are more present in tourists with higher age. Under this aspect, Patuelli and Nijkamp (2016) corroborate pointing out that at world level it has become more popular, in older segments of tourists, the motivation for leisure travel. This profile of traveler, according to the authors, has experienced an increase in life expectancy, better health conditions, more disposable income and greater availability of time (PATUELLI; NIJKAMP, 2016). ...
... As senior adults begin to experience primary and secondary ageing and internal ageing that produce degeneration of various senses, such as sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch (Feldman, 2006), old adults are less effective than younger adults at making decisions based on the content of memories and they tend to pay more attention to emotional content (Peters et al., 2007). The factors of tourism decision-making for seniors are restricted by their health (Patuelli and Nijkamp, 2016). Although scholars recognized these differences in exploring the SMTEs (Sie et al., 2021;Tung and Ritchie, 2011b), they did not consider how the senior tourists' bodies, cognition and situation interact to form MTEs in the process of shaping tourism memory, and ignored the differences between senior tourists and young tourists in the content and characteristics of unforgettable tourism experience. ...
Article
Memorable tourism experiences (MTEs) play an essential role in decision-making and revisit intentions. However, extant studies have provided limited investigation of MTEs in different groups, especially senior tourists. Thus, following embodied cognition theory, this research explores the components of senior tourists’ memorable experiences (SMTEs) with an emphasis on their body characteristics and uniqueness. Through in-depth interviews with 26 senior tourists in China, the findings show that SMTEs are the result of embodied, situational and cognitive interaction, which are related to sensory enjoyment, embodied barriers, emotional experiences, identity, control and serendipity. Interestingly, our study finds two types of interaction between sensory enjoyment and embodied barriers on shaping memory, discovering the positive role of seniors’ body state on shaping SMTEs. Findings also provide academic and practical implications to help understand senior tourists from a new perspective.
... Senior tourism is not a new phenomenon; seniors today are stepping up their post-retirement lives by actively engaging in travel behavior. This is chiefly because the senior population has not just increased in number but has more wealth, health, independence, leisure time, and purchasing power than ever before (Alén et al., 2017;Huang & Tsai, 2003;Jang & Wu, 2006;Musa & Sim, 2010;Patuelli & Nijkamp, 2016). senior-friendly tourism products (e.g., infrastructure, facilities, and services) designed to attract senior tourists who are seeking satisfying and memorable travel experiences (Lee, 2016;Lee & King, 2016), especially in settings like Malaysia. ...
Article
The push-pull motivation theory was applied to examine the role of travel motivation in the relationship between senior-friendly destination attributes and future seniors’ travel intention to a senior-friendly destination. A quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted on a sample of 209 future senior tourists in Malaysia. Hierarchical multiple regression and factor analysis results revealed four important attribute dimensions of a senior-friendly destination from the perspective of future senior tourists, i.e., ‘senior-friendly facilities and accessibility,’ ‘tourism resources and attractions,’ ‘complementary services,’ and ‘safety and security services.’ ‘Tourism resources and attractions’ was found to be the only destination attribute that significantly predicts future seniors’ travel intention. Travel motivation was tested to determine its effect on travel intention, however the findings indicated that future senior tourists’ travel motivation has no moderating role in the relationship between senior-friendly destination attributes and travel intention. Implications and suggestions are provided for tourism researchers, destination managers, and travel service providers.
... A study that evaluated European seniors' visit to Thailand found that tourists nationality was related to visiting new places, searching for new knowledge and cultural enrichment (Seyanont, 2017). Patuelli and Nijkamp (2016) uncovered differences between nationality type and motivations/experiences, noting that while American tourists were more interested in adventure-related activities, Asian tourists were less attracted by socializing activities. ...
Article
Full-text available
Senior tourism is increasingly expanding. This quantitative and exploratory study aims to understand the motivations that drive elderly travellers to visit the Azores. The Senior Tourists Motivation Scale (STMS) was applied to 470 participants. Collected data were submitted to nonparametric tests. The results showed that: i) STMS items’ scores differ according to the type of tourist (national or foreign); ii) scores obtained in the three factors of the STMS differ between the two types of tourists, different age groups and levels of income perception. These findings may contribute in the future to the identification of market niches so that decision-makers can develop activities that suit these tourists’ needs and desires.
... Although cruises attract travellers from all segments of the world population, this paper focuses on the elderly, defined as people aged 65 and over (OECD, 2020). Leisure travels have become very popular amongst the elderly, mainly due to an increase in life expectancy, improved health conditions and medicine and a higher disposable income (Patuelli and Nijkamp, 2016). In 2016, 19.2% of the EU's population was 65 or over, and 48.8% of the elderly travelled (Eurostat, 2017). ...
... Seniors as a market segment have some specific behaviour characteristics, and seniors' traveller behaviour has become a research area of interest due to its market size and potential for growth. Thus, researchers have become more involved in studying the motivations for senior tourism (Patuelli & Nijkamp, 2016), and several studies have investigated the tourism motivations of seniors and/or retirees (Otoo & Kim, 2020). Huang and Tsai (2003) found that rest and relaxation, meeting people, socialization and spending time with family (nostalgia) were the main factors to explain travelling behaviour, while Jang and Wu (2006) and Jang et al. (2009) highlighted novelty seeking, self-esteem, ego-enhancement, socialization, rest and relaxation as motivations to travel by seniors. ...
Article
Retirees have been growing in importance as a consumer segment targeted by the tourism industry, namely because they can minimize the typical seasonality of tourism and increase its sustainability. This study aims to contribute to a more in-depth knowledge of retirees’ behaviour and has two objectives: (i) describe tourist behaviour of seniors prior to and after retirement; (ii) identify and analyse retired consumers’ current motivations and constraints towards tourism. Qualitative research was conducted comprising interviews with 40 Portuguese retirees. The results indicate a diversity of experiences regarding tourism activities both before and after retirement, evidencing that past experience stands out as a determinant of retirees’ tourism behaviour. Moreover, three distinct segments of tourists emerge: the experts, the new tourists, and the non-tourists.
... Most European cities maintain their high standard of safety and, as a result, senior tourists would expect the same level of safety when traveling. The findings of a different study conducted by Patuelli and Nijkamp (2016) identified the key motives of senior travel as culture and nature, which are also very important for seniors from European remote regions. ...
Article
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Tourism is one of the fastest-growing industries in Europe, with growth mostly centered in major cities and urban locations. Nevertheless, remote destinations can also offer tranquility and accessibility, as well as both unexploited and unknown development potential for active senior travelers. The purpose of this paper is to analyze, on the basis of information gathered from 1705 questionnaires, senior touristic behavior, including motivations and decision-making issues for senior travelers in 11 remote regions of nine European countries (Finland, Latvia, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Spain, Ireland, and Greece). A mixed-methods approach was used to fulfill the research objectives. Both interviews and the survey method were applied to generate data from senior tourists. The present study will focus on the key factors explaining senior tourists’ motivations and barriers to travel. The results of surveys conducted within the TOURAGE project indicate the significant potential of remote regions in the development of senior tourism. For senior respondents, a very important reason for going on holiday is the possibility of enjoying rest and silence. Safety, nature, historical sites, quality of services, and easy transportation connections are the top five attraction factors for seniors when choosing a destination. At the same time, according to the interviews, among the important problems negatively influencing the size of the senior tourism market in remote regions are: difficulties in reaching seniors with tourist offers, a lack of promotion of local tourist products aimed at seniors, and finally a lack of financial resources for the implementation of local projects supporting the development of senior tourism.
... Neste sentido, as pessoas idosas são consideradas cada vez mais importantes para o setor do turismo, visto terem maior capacidade financeira e disponibilidade, permitindo-lhes viajar mais vezes em relação a qualquer outro perfil de turista Medeiros et al., 2020). O turismo sénior, sendo considerado um setor económico em ascensão, exige aos agentes turísticos informação urgente sobre as necessidades deste nicho de mercado (Martínez-Garcia, 2013;Patuelli & Nijkamp, 2016). ...
Chapter
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A literatura de especialidade revela que o turismo sénior está em franca expansão e é um segmento de mercado muito heterogéneo, quer pelas suas características socioeconómi-cas, quer pelas suas motivações aquando da preparação e realização de uma viagem. Os Açores registam um número crescente de visitantes seniores, exigindo-se aos empresá-rios e demais agentes do setor do turismo a criação de novos produtos e a adaptação dos existentes às necessidades, desejos e exigências deste segmento de mercado. Pretendeu-se, com este estudo qualitativo, realizado com base numa amostra de 95 participantes, compreender a perceção dos empresários, gestores e decisores políticos sobre o futuro do turismo sénior nos Açores e acolher sugestões para a dinamização de novos produtos turísticos. O estudo revela que estes stakeholders estão alinhados com as políticas para um turismo sustentável, manifestam preocupação com a prática de um turismo inclusivo, consideram importante a necessidade de melhorar a formação técnica especializada para os profissionais de turismo, valorizam a preservação e divulgação da oferta turística existente, assim como a eliminação de barreiras arquitetónicas. Conclui-se que os participantes deste estudo percecionam os Açores como um destino turístico com grandes potencialidades para atrair o turismo sénior. Nas preocupações com a sustentabilidade do turismo sénior nestas ilhas, evidenciam o atendimento de proximidade, a preservação ambiental, a manutenção da autenticidade do destino e sugerem a criação e adaptação de produtos turísticos relacionados com o bem-estar, a dinamização de atividades culturais, a promoção da gastronomia local e do turismo religioso. Em termos de políticas para a otimização do turismo sénior, reconhecem a necessidade dos agentes turísticos se organizarem e trabalharem em rede (networking), procedendo à realização de novos estudos e apostando noutros nichos de mercado.
... Neste sentido, as pessoas idosas são consideradas cada vez mais importantes para o setor do turismo, visto terem maior capacidade financeira e disponibilidade, permitindo-lhes viajar mais vezes em relação a qualquer outro perfil de turista . O turismo sénior, sendo considerado um setor económico em ascensão, exige aos agentes turísticos informação urgente sobre as necessidades deste nicho de mercado Patuelli & Nijkamp, 2016). ...
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Na contemporaneidade, parece haver uma maior consciência das consequências do envelhecimento demográfico mundial, o qual se encontra em crescimento acelerado, com implicações políticas, económicas, sociais e sanitárias, quer seja ao nível global, quer ao nível das comunidades, das famílias e das pessoas. Hoje, os centenários são da ordem dos milhões, transmitindo-nos a ideia de que as conquistas sobre a doença levaram ao recuo da morte. Desígnio de todas as eras, a procura de um elixir para a eterna juventude converteu-se no “morrer jovem o mais tarde possível”, dando-nos a vã esperança da imortalidade, a qual alimenta o nosso imaginário criativo e nos faz viajar internamente (dentro de nós) pelos lugares vividos, cheiros sentidos, experiências únicas e recordações significativas e emotivas da nossa trajetória de vida. O progressivo aumento da longevidade, as conceções de Aprendizagem ao Longo da Vida (longlife learning), a par das políticas sociais e de trabalho, que concebem o direito ao descanso e ao tempo de lazer remunerados, contribuíram, também elas, para a expansão do turismo sénior, como parte do estilo de vida globalizado, configurando um paradigma de envelhecimento positivo, construtivo e saudável. Este novo paradigma estimula na vivência da adultez e da velhice a capacidade de aventura, o desejo de fruir experiências únicas e memoráveis, a expetativa de prazer intenso e contribui para o sonho das viagens, sonhadas, idealizadas, pensadas e programadas, vividas e, inevitavelmente mais tarde, recordadas. Parafraseando o Doutor António Simões (2006), ilustre Professor da Universidade de Coimbra, pela mão de quem dei os primeiros passos no conhecimento da Psicologia do Adulto, os “novos” idosos vivem mais, são mais ativos, são mais produtivos e mais escolarizados, em suma, têm menos limitações e mais atividade. Longe vão os tempos em que a esperança de vida era de 18 anos (Grécia, cinco séculos a.C.) ou 25 anos (Roma, século I d.C.); hoje, esperamos viver muito mais, vacinados e cuidados, diminuindo a nossa fragilidade pessoal, com a expetativa de conhecer mais, saborear outros paladares, ver para além do que já vimos, tendo como base a segurança, o conforto, o convívio e a saúde. Queremos viajar! Sair do lugar. Queremos ser turistas. Transformámo-nos no Homo Turísticus até à idade avançada. A experiência dramática de contacto efetivo com a morte e de isolamento que o SARS-CoV-2 impôs nas nossas vidas, sacrificando as viagens e, desta forma, a possibilidade de fazer turismo, fez-nos redefinir a importância de viajar. Experienciámos que os confinamentos tolham a cognição e a emoção, limitam a opção.
... Os turistas seniores contribuem significativamente para a diminuição da sazonalidade no turismo Otoo & Kim, 2018;Patuelli & Nijkamp, 2016). Existe, pois, a necessidade de se repensar a utilização das TIC neste contexto, de forma a promover um maior envolvimento do turista sénior, as empresas turísticas e os lugares visitados com a sua história e peculiaridades, proporcionando-lhes novas experiências (Moniz et al., in Press). ...
Article
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Information and communication technologies (ICT) have revolutionized the daily lives of society and the global economy development. In tourism, digital transformation takes on a central role, contributing to the promotion of tourism products and services and enabling stakeholders and tourists to enjoy the benefits of globalization and social changes. Senior tourism is considered a growing market niche and, as such, it is important to understand the importance that these tourists address to these technologies, including the most innovative ones such as augmented reality. Through a search in the database b-on and ScienceDirect, articles in full text were analyzed, filtering them in several stages in order to select only those that met the inclusion criteria. As a result of this process, it was possible to verify the growing trend of ICT use by senior tourists, who benefit from new experiences. ICT enhances stakeholder’s marketing, communication with tourists more sustainability and smarter tourist destinations promotion.
... Los efectos de la edad en el comportamiento turístico, se están tornando en un punto focal de investigación ahora que los signos de una sociedad que envejece se están volviendo más prominentes (Patuelli & Nijkamp, 2016). ...
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The aim of this investigation is to determine the distinctive features and demands of the elderly market segment as consumers of sun and beach tourism in the province of Manabí, in order to satisfy their demands and stimulate arrivals that contribute to local tourism development; It was of a mixed type with a descriptive scope and a nonexperimental transectional design; Tourists over 50 years of age and older were surveyed during the 2020 carnival holiday and tourism service providers in October 2020, in the sun and beach destinations Los Frailes, Puerto López, Bahía de Caráquez, Canoa, San Clemente and Crucita of the province of Manabí-Ecuador. Analyzes of official documents of the Ecuadorian government, international organizations and scientific literature published in indexed journals were carried out; mainly on sun and beach destinations, tourism for the elderly, the province of Manabí and local development. As a result, the close relationship between the natural and cultural resources of the Manabí province with the local tourist development of the same is evidenced and it is determined that the motivation of the elderly travelers is a multidimensional construction; with differences in gender, marital status, travel companions, which are explained by the preferred types and activities of attraction; It is concluded that the motivations of elderly tourists can be an important segmentation indicator and that to strengthen the relationship between elderly tourism in Manabi sun and beach destinations and the local development of Manabí, it is necessary care for elderly tourists with tourism products specifically aimed at this market segment.
... Yet, most if not all travel motivation research is largely driven from the foundational concept (e.g., pull and push travel motivations) improvised by early scholarship such as that from Crompton (1979), Iso-Aloha (1982), and Pearce (1993). Whereas these foundational works are admirable, tourism research to date has yet to move beyond their premise, which largely focuses on concepts such as novelty seeking, socialization, relaxation and escape, self-stimulation and development, leisure activity, cleaning and safety, and more (e.g., Patuelli & Nijkamp, 2016;Pearce & Lee, 2005;Sangpikul, 2008). However, motivational appeals presented from the present inquiry thus open a new window of opportunity that goes beyond these generic motivational themes to shed light on the literature with new concepts such as heroism, princessism, and resonance between virtual and reality. ...
Article
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There is increasing evidence that cartoon fans may make pilgrimages to cartoon sites where the displays are derived from popular plots, scenes, and characters. Through a phenomenological lens with data obtained from semi-structured interviews, this study reveals five travel motivations concerning the cartoon pilgrimage phenomenon, including heroism and princessism, nostalgia, plot framing, resonance between virtual and reality, and deep cultural learning. The present inquiry further contributes to the literature by illuminating a process leading from dreams, reverie, and fantasy manifested in the animated virtual world, to the reality realized through deep immersion and engrossment in the tourism space.
Article
Purpose The surge in the older population has gained significant interest within the tourism sector worldwide. Little empirical research has been conducted to examine the role of tourism experiences on older adults’ healthy aging. Based on Rowe and Kahn’s (1987) successful aging model, this study utilized a qualitative approach to examine the health benefits that tourism can play for seniors. Design/methodology/approach A total of 19 interviews were conducted with senior adults living in Macau aged over 60. Thematic analysis was employed for data analysis. Findings The results demonstrate that the tourism experience contributes to healthy aging in three ways: first, nature-based tourism benefits seniors’ physical health; second, the social interactions with friends, relatives, locals and fellow travelers during tourism activities benefit seniors' emotional well-being and third, transcendent tourism experiences can exhibit positive spirituality among seniors. Originality/value This paper not only enriches the theoretical and empirical studies on tourism and healthy aging but also puts forward relevant empirical suggestions to destination marketing organizations that target the senior tourist market.
Article
A set of six motive constructs emerged from a review of a half-century of research purporting to determine the motives that guide tourists’ pleasure decisions: curiosity, boredom alleviation, disinhibited play, biophilia, reinforcement of bonds with intimate groups, and ego-enhancement. Frequently, emotions, outcomes, reasons, personalities, and/or actions were confusingly mischaracterized as motives. The theoretical/conceptual physiological and psychological underpinning of each motive construct are described, together with the diagnostic antecedent behaviors that infer a motive is in a state of disequilibrium, and the restorative behaviors in which tourists engage to restore equilibrium. Directions for future research are suggested.
Article
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Motivaciones de los turistas de la tercera edad en los destinos de sol y playa de Manabí Motivations of elderly tourists in the sun and beach destinations of Manabí
Chapter
The progressive ageing of the population around the world, particularly in developed countries, has drawn increasing interest in tourism activity of the elderly on the part of researchers, practitioners and representatives of national and regional authorities. Consequently, international literature on tourism includes analyses of tourist behavior, motivation and the inclination of elderly persons to travel, also devoting attention to links between quality of life and pursuit of the need to travel among elderly. On a global scale, one can currently observe the so-called generation shock, which sees the generation born after World War II enter retirement age. This generation is characterised by fundamentally different needs, aspirations and behaviors from their predecessors, all of which may be worthwhile to know. This chapter thus offers an overview of international literature and defines the concept of the elderly, as well as discusses the behavior of elderly with respect to tourism activity undertaken and the factors which influence the latter. Furthermore, an attempt has been made to demonstrate the relationship between the quality of life and the willingness of elderly to travel, drawing on numerous findings from research conducted among elderly tourists in selected countries.
Article
Purpose - The study aims to identify segments of Generation Z based on common digital information features used for travel purposes. Generation Z is specific generation in terms of digital information use as they have grown up as digital natives unlike older generations. Methodology/Design/Approach – Students representing Generation Z are studied by collecting data from a structured online questionnaire consisting of Likert-type scales on digital information features. The questionnaire also includes travel-related benefits and some demographic characteristics of the respondents. Principal component analysis is performed to identify the factors underlying the information features sought, followed by K-Means clustering applied to the identified factors. The characteristics of the clusters are analysed. Findings - Based on the importance of digital travel-related information features, two distinct segments are identified to be targeted through digital marketing. The larger segment “Practical information seekers” looks for accessible and secure information and the smaller segment “Genuine information seekers” focuses on authenticity of information. Originality of the research - The study confirms the heterogeneity of the Generation Z travel market by identifying two distinct segments that pursue different digital information features.
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This paper presents the findings of a review of research papers that were published in the Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing from January 2011 to December 2013. Content analysis was used to analyze 159 research papers. The results revealed that, out of the eight research areas identified, consumer behavior, brand management, and e-marketing are the three most popular research topics among studies that collected data from Asian and non-Asian countries/regions. One notable exception is that research related to demand models and pricing seems to be dominated by research in Asian countries/regions. The study concludes with a general discussion of the implications, trends in tourism marketing research, and study limitations.
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This study investigates the influences of travel motivations, travel constraints, and demographic variables on seniors' overseas travel intentions. A survey of Taiwanese seniors was conducted for the purpose of identifying the significant predicators of overseas travel. Using factor analyses, four motivations (relaxation, novelty, escape, and socialization) and three travel constraints (perceived risks, time commitments, and personal reasons) are delineated. The results from the logistic regression analysis suggest that the main factors predicting seniors' overseas travel propensity include age, income source, employment status, relaxation motive, novelty motive, socialization motive, and personal reasons constraint.
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This study investigates tourism demand in a small island destination. Tourism demand dynamics could be triggered by a broader range of factors, associated with time-dimensions and reciprocal effects, than what has been explicitly alluded to by the literature. This has important implications for our understanding of the drivers of tourism demand. At the same time, the study presented new avenues for future research and the theorizing of the dynamics of tourism demand. The study found that a small island destination could provide useful material for advancing the scholarly literature in the sphere of tourism.
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The senior segment of the Korean population is rapidly becoming an attractive target market for leisure destinations due to its increasing rate of growth and the level of income available. While this is a potentially attractive segment for the tourism industry, the impact of traditional Confucian philosophy represents a constraint which may deter senior Koreans from travelling for leisure purposes. Through a self-completion survey of 200 Korean residents over the age of 60 years, conducted in 2002, this paper explores the attitudes of this market towards leisure travel. The constraints which may restrict the travel propensity of senior Koreans and the types of travel experiences they demand are revealed.
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The push and pull framework was used to understand the motives of senior travelers and their future behavioral intentions to the city of Nice, France. The results, based on a convenience sample of 200 senior travelers, indicated that rest and relaxation, spend time with family, and being together as a family were the three most important motives for visiting the city. Pull attributes such as weather and climate, beaches and watersports, and beautiful scenery and attractions were the three most important pull factors. Significant correlations were found between some of the push and pull factors. Revisit intentions were predicted by the motive of escape and relaxation while recommendation intentions were predicted by the pull factor of cultural attractions and accommodation. Managerial implications for product development and marketing to the senior market are suggested.
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This research reports on the findings of a comparative study of senior consumers from a major European (French) market and a key Asian (Chinese) one. The study concentrates on the tourism market regarding the growth and importance of this industry both for European and Asian markets. Travel motivations and perceived risks were of particular interest to understand consumer behavior, with scales being tested and utilizing survey data collected from 300 French and 264 Chinese seniors. The study reveals that two reliable Western scales could be adapted to the Chinese and to the French cultures. Second, it shows significant differences between Chinese and French senior consumers in terms of motivations and risks perceptions. Particularly, Chinese seniors are described by a past-oriented motivation, linked to nostalgia, and patriotism, which differentiates them from the Western seniors. This article provides a contribution regarding a major issue in comparative and cross-cultural studies: the use of a unique and culturally adapted scale. Two scales have been tested and showed to be suitable for marketing studies in four cultures. Second, this study provides interesting information on a European and an Asian senior market. Knowing that the current aging of the global population presents an exciting opportunity for growth for several industries, these results are of particular interest for international marketers.
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The paper explores how demographic changes in human populations may impact on tourism decisionmaking of households over their life cycle. By means of hurdle models, the study focuses respectively on the decision to travel domestically or abroad and investigates if statistically significant differences exist as to the impact of age and cohort on the decision to travel and tourism expenditure. Using a vast dataset on Italian Household Expenditures over the period 1997e2007 the empirical results show that demographic aspects do have a strong effect on the tourism behaviour of families and that cohort and age effects act differently on the decision of households to make a trip and on how much they spend on tourism. Age has a negative effect on the desire to travel but a positive effect on tourism expenditure. On the other hand, older cohorts are inclined to travel but they have a low propensity to spend on tourism. Relevant differences in income elasticity along the life cycle of households have also been found. Finally, age and cohort aspects have a different effect on the decision as to whether to travel nationally or internationally.
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This study employed time-series data along with the theory of generations, life cycle theory, and continuity theory to analyze the psychological characteristics and travel behavior of American senior leisure tourists. Three generations were compared—the Silent Generation, the Lucky Few, and the Baby Boomers—using empirical data collected in 1986, 1996, and 2006. Whereas the findings support the applicability of life cycle theory and continuity theory to the senior travel market, they also indicate that the theory of generations might be limited in explicating this market, since to some extent age effects were more effective than cohort effects in explaining group differences. This study further suggests that although marketing programs geared toward the senior market need to be updated, they do not need to be radically changed over time. Marketers should also expect the average age of the senior travel market to rise, since traditionally defined “young seniors” of 55 to about 60 years should no longer be considered seniors, and they might not be interested in senior programs.
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A few studies in the travel research literature indicate a relationship between travel motivation and the use of information sources for travel decisions. This study will propose and test a causal model specifying these relationships using structural equation modelling. When specific client groups are matched with their preferred information sources, marketers can easily access the target group. The application of LISREL will also be discussed.
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The older travel market will make up a larger proportion of the travel market in the near future with profound impact on market size and potential. This research addressed the issue whether travelers’ behavior changes over time through longitudinal and cohort comparisons of older Japanese outbound travelers in terms of travel propensity, destination activity participation and travel philosophy. Both the age effect and generation cohort effect were tested and the underlining patterns of the destination activity participation patterns relative to other age groups and previous generation cohorts were identified. The findings indicated that the older travel market is becoming more active compared to 10 years before. Travel characteristics of this market also change over time.
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When one combines their greater economic well-being with their escalating numbers, more independent living, and better overall health, aging consumers constitute a very attractive market for the travel and tourism industry. This paper examines key factors that impact the consumption decision-making, attitudes, and behavior of the mature consumer, with particular attention to the service sector of travel. It presents a review of relevant segmentation studies and recommends specific, additional variables to increase the predictive and explanatory power of models intended to segment current and future senior travelers. Finally, it discusses implications of the segmentation process for effective strategy formulation.
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The senior travel market may be segmented and profiled with a combination of psychological characteristicstravel motives; travel risk perceptions; cognitive age-as well as demographic characteristics. Activities-age, a measure of cognitive age related to the age a person identifies with while enjoying travel activities was able to discriminate between the four travel-motive segments identified with a large survey of the senior market: discovery and self-enhancement, enthusiastic connectors, reluctant travelers and nostalgic travelers. While nostalgia is an important travel motive for the largest segment of senior travelers, the cognitively younger, wealthier, healthier and better educated seniors are motivated to travel for discovery and self-enhancement. Each of the four travel segments provide travel marketers with opportunities for product and service development.
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The motivations and benefits of educational travel among individuals aged 55 years old and over were examined in this study. A total of 136 older adults enrolled in Elderhostel programs participated in this study and reported their perceived benefits and motivations for engaging in educational travel experiences. Correlation analyses were used to explore relationships between the adults' perceived benefits and motivations. Analyses of variance were conducted and significant differences in adults' motivations for educational travel were found by gender, education level, health, and activity level of the program. The findings from this study are discussed in terms of successful aging, and implications for organizations offering educational travel programs are provided.
Book
Preface. Part A: Meta-Analysis and Environmental Policy Evaluation. 1. Environmental Policy Evaluation. 2. Meta-Approaches to Environmental Policy Assessment. 3. Meta-Approaches: Methodological Remarks. 4. Review of Meta-Analysis with Applications to Economics. Part B: Methodology of Meta-Analysis in Environmental Economics. 5. Statistical Meta-Analysis. 6. Measurement and Uncertainty Issues in Environmental Economics and Decision Analysis. 7. Basic Principles of Rough Set Analysis. 8. Technical Issues in Rough Set Analysis. Part C: Application of Meta-Analysis to Environmental Case Studies. 9. Multiplier Effects in Tourist Regions. 10. Air Quality and Property Value. 11. Working Conditions in Industrial Sectors: Valuations of Life. 12. Effectiveness of Pesticide Price Policies in Agriculture. 13. Effectiveness of Traffic Restraint Policies. 14. Impacts of Mobility and Transport Policy. Part D: Conclusions and Guidelines. 15. Summary Conclusions and Guidelines. Index. References.
Article
Although tourism is recognized as a major industry worldwide, many people do not have access to tourism yet. In order to increase seniors’ access to tourism, some countries have been developing social tourism programmes for this market. However, few studies analyse the relevance and the motivations for participating in these programmes. This paper presents a market segmentation of a Portuguese social tourism programme for seniors based on motivations and a comparison of the resulting segments regarding the following features: socio-demographic profile; travel behaviour; benefits obtained; satisfaction; and loyalty. A questionnaire was applied and 667 valid answers were obtained. A K-means cluster analysis was adopted to segment the market and clusters were compared using ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis and Chi-square tests. Three clusters emerged: “the passive seniors”, “the socio-cultural seniors” and “the active seniors”. Several statistically significant differences among the clusters were detected. Results highlight the importance of social tourism programmes for the senior market.
Article
The gerontological literature has consistently made note of the danger in using chronological age as the sole predictor of attitudes and behaviors of the elderly. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the mature market is defined primarily by age or whether other variables mediate the effects of age. Data from a tourism marketing study measuring the vacation travel motivations of older individuals living in Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin were analyzed to examine the importance of 35 travel benefits (push factors) and 85 vacation attributes (pull factors) to mature market members. An elaboration model was used to determine if there were age differences within the mature market (?neo-mature? versus ?veteran-mature?) and whether these age differences were affected by income and retirement status. Factor analysis of the push factors revealed six underlying travel motives: escape, education, family, action, relaxation, and ego. Factor analysis of the pull factors identified nine underlying vacation travel attributes: natural surroundings, good weather, tourism infrastructure, budget dining and accommodations, cultural and historical attractions, manmade attractions, people, upscale facilities, and outdoor recreation opportunities. Initial results indicated there were significant differences in travel motivations of neo-mature market members (aged 50-64) and veteran-mature market members (aged 65+) for four push factors (escape, education, action and relaxation) and three pull factors (natural surroundings, upscale facilities and outdoor recreation opportunities). However, adding income and retirement status into the analysis as control variables mediated the effects of age. The findings serve as a caution to those who believe that age is a sufficient variable for understanding the mature market.
Article
Senior travellers aged 50 and over served as the focus for an integrated exploration of tourism activities and shopping behaviours. The twofold purpose of the research was to develop profiles of senior travellers based on travel activities and to augment the profiles by comparing and contrasting tourists on shopping variables. Previous scholarship on tourist segmentation, tourism shopping and senior travellers informed the research. A sample of 146 travellers responded to a mail survey addressing their preferences for travel activities and a variety of shopping behaviours during travel. Travel activities factored into outdoors, cultural and sports and entertainment tourism. Factors encompassed both spectator/recreational and social engagement approaches to tourism. Three profiles of senior tourists included ‘active outdoor/cultural tourists’, ‘cultural tourists’ and ‘moderate tourists’. Profiles differed on the importance attached to shopping during travel, likelihood for shopping at retail venues, preferred shopping mall characteristics and sources of travel information about shopping. Scholarly and applied implications are offered.
Article
The population is aging and the number of people over 55 (older consumers) is increasing. Firms which recognize the importance of the older consumer segment can use this demographic change to their advantage. However, the older consumer market is more heterogeneous than the younger consumer market when it comes to preferences, motives, and spending patterns. Travel and leisure services are no exception. This study reports the result of a large-scale study that examined the responses to travel and leisure services and patronage motives of different age and lifestyle groups. The results suggest several marketing strategies that would be most appropriate for reaching older consumers of travel and leisure services.
Article
The article reports on the segmentation of Swiss senior travellers on the basis of their travel motivation. Switzerland is considered a mature market which is why this country serves as a role model for future travel behaviour. In contrast to previous studies, which identified up to six clusters, the results reveal that in the case analysed there are three clusters. Two of them partially represent a life cycle concept: TIME HONOURED BON VIVANTS (phase 1; towards the end of a professional life), and GRIZZLED EXPLORERS (phase 2; from the start of a retired life). These two segments are complemented by RETRO TRAVELLERS, which incorporate many characteristics of the previous two but differentiate themselves in terms of education as well as professional positions.
Article
Many researchers have examined the market for leisure travel by travelers 55 years of age and older. This article tests the hypothesis that demand for household leisure travel to South Carolina is the same for senior and nonsenior households. The results show that two variables affect senior households’ leisure travel behavior differently from non-senior households’ behavior: housing type and distance. Housing type may represent unmeasured income arising from homeowners’ equity. The results are based on individual household data from the 1995 American Travel Survey (ATS) conducted by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics.