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Understanding tourist behaviour of senior citizens: lifecycle theory, continuity theory and a generational approach

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 April 2016

ELISA ALÉN ,
NIEVES LOSADA  and
PABLO DE CARLOS
ELISA ALÉN*
Affiliation:
Faculty of Business Sciences and Tourism, University of Vigo, Ourense, Spain.
NIEVES LOSADA
Affiliation:
Faculty of Business Sciences and Tourism, University of Vigo, Ourense, Spain.
PABLO DE CARLOS
Affiliation:
Faculty of Business Sciences and Tourism, University of Vigo, Ourense, Spain.
*
Address for correspondence: Elisa Alén, Faculty of Business Sciences and Tourism,University of Vigo, Campus Universitario, s/n, 32.004 Ourense, Spain E-mail: alen@uvigo.es
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Abstract

Global demographic changes and the increasing participation of senior citizens in leisure tourism activities have prompted governments and tourism providers in many developed regions to identify seniors as a priority market. Yet the lack of theory related to senior tourism poses a major hurdle to continued research in this field, especially with regard to the application of evolving age theories. Few studies analyse the relevance or motivations of senior tourists. Therefore, this study investigates the tourism behaviour of Spanish senior travellers, including both their motivations and their tendency to travel. To develop a theoretical framework, this article relies on three theories to explicate the travel behaviour of senior citizens: lifecycle theory, continuity theory and generational theory.

Keywords

quality of lifedemographic changetourist behaviourlifecycle theorycontinuity theorygenerational theory
Type
Articles
Information
Ageing & Society , Volume 37 , Issue 7 , August 2017 , pp. 1338 - 1361
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2016 

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