Abstract
Intergenerational tourism is a growing, though underexplored and underexamined travel trend involving tourism and leisure experiences where different age groups participate and interact with one another. This type of tourism has been gaining momentum due to changing demographics, with ageing societies and different generations coexisting together, together with a desire for more enriching travel experiences throughout the lifecycle. Through analysis of specific examples where tourism and intergenerationality are brought into play, this paper examines the motivations, benefits, and challenges associated with intergenerational tourism. Motivations often stem from a desire to strengthen family bonds, create lasting memories, and expose generations to diverse cultures and environments. Additionally, this paper advocates that intergenerational tourism can produce a variety of social and cultural benefits, both for tourists and host communities. By contesting traditional forms of tourism, it can foster more memorable and meaningful connections, shared experiences, and mutual understanding among people of all ages, while engendering more sustainable tourism practices for destinations. Yet, intergenerational tourism is not without its challenges which include, for instance, the need to cater for diverse interests and activity levels, dealing with generational conflicts, and ensuring the integration of all participants. In a nutshell, intergenerational tourism can offer unique opportunities for social cohesion, cultural exchange, and personal exchange and growth that must be considered by tourism providers and policymakers, thus allowing for new approaches, concepts, and frameworks to tourism and leisure throughout the lifecycle.
Presenters
Ana GonçalvesSenior Lecturer/Researcher, Centre of Geographical Studies, IGOT-ULisboa, Escola Superior de Hotelaria e Turismo do Estoril (ESHTE), Portugal
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
2024 Special Focus—Tourism, Leisure and Change: Transforming People and Places
KEYWORDS
TOURISM, INTERGENERATIONALITY, EXPERIENCE, MEMORY, SUSTAINABILITY
