Young-elderly individuals´ use of social media for travel purpose

Authors

  • Susanna Elisabet Fabricius Arcada University f Applied Sciences Department of Business Management and Analytics
  • Niklas Eriksson Arcada University f Applied Sciences Department of Business Management and Analytics

Keywords:

social media, tourism, older individuals, technology adoption and use, consumer behaviour

Abstract

The population is rapidly ageing in many developed countries. However, little research has been conducted to better understand older individuals’ use of the Internet and social media for travel purposes. This qualitative study focuses on identifying young-elderly (aged 60-75) travellers as disinclined, opportunistic and 2.0 users of social media and on exploring possible enablers and barriers to their use. Fourteen individuals were interviewed, and the results suggest a quite clear divide in how actively social media is used by the informants. Seven informants were categorized as disinclined, six as opportunistic and one as a 2.0 user.  There also seem to be heterogeneous perceptions of social media for travel purposes - several possible enablers and barriers were found among the informants to consulting online reviews and blogs for travel planning and to sharing travel experiences online.

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Published

08.01.2024

Issue

Section

Tourism/Hospitality: Research Papers

How to Cite

Young-elderly individuals´ use of social media for travel purpose. (2024). Tourism & Management Studies, 13(1), 27-32. https://www.tmstudies.net/index.php/ectms/article/view/963

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