Understanding the Value of Tourism to Seniors’ Health and Positive Aging

Abstract

The value of tourism has been included in studies of active aging, and the existing public health implications of the physical and mental health effects of tourism among seniors are recognized as important issues. This study uses a mixed methods research approach to explore the effects of tourism value on the health and mortality risk of older adults, referred to in this paper as seniors. Survival analysis and cohort analysis are combined with the narrative analysis of in-depth interviews with eight convenience-sampled seniors to construct a narrative framework of seniors’ active aging tourism and its intrinsic drivers. The study found that the intrinsic framework of active aging tourism values for seniors has a three-stage continuum, an interaction, and orientation characteristics. There are six intrinsic key value drivers of tourism value and public health for seniors. In addition, this study identifies the personal characteristics and strengths of seniors as important influences on tourism value practices for active aging and public health. This study provides a positive psychological and behavioral research direction for existing research on the value of tourism in active aging. It provides an empirical basis for exploring the intrinsic mechanisms of tourism and public health.