Literature Review on 30 Years in Aging Tourism: Past, Present and Future Trends
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21834/e-bpj.v11i35.7575Keywords:
Gerontology, Digital Inclusion, Aging Tourism, Transformative Travel ExperiencesAbstract
Ageing tourism has evolved over three decades from market segmentation to a holistic framework that links travel to healthy ageing and Quality of Life (QoL). This narrative review synthesises past gaps, current trends, and future directions using bibliometric insights. Early research often overlooked the experiential depth, health impacts, and vulnerability of certain groups. Contemporary studies position tourism as a non-pharmacological intervention enhancing physical vitality, psychological resilience, and social connectedness, supported by digital innovations. Future research should adopt inclusive and interdisciplinary approaches, integrate ethical technology, and address the needs of caregivers. Embedding QoL principles will enable tourism to serve as a catalyst for longevity, equity, and well-being.
References
Abd Aziz, N. N., Mansor, F., Ridzuan, M. R., & Ismail, S. (2025). Towards Culturally Inclusive Elderly Care: Developing a framework for Muslim retirement villages. Environment-Behaviour Proceedings Journal, 10(SI33), 171–177. https://doi.org/10.21834/e-bpj.v10iSI33.7069 DOI: https://doi.org/10.21834/e-bpj.v10iSI33.7069
Arora, M. (2024). Fostering Resilience Through Travel: Prioritising Well-being, Accessibility and Sustainability. In The Emerald Handbook of Tourism Economics and Sustainable Development (pp. 211-232). Emerald Publishing Limited. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-83753-708-220241011
Bishop, K., & Said, I., (2017). Challenges of Participatory Qualitative Research in a Malaysian and Australian Hospital. Asian Journal of Environment-Behaviour Studies, 2(4), 1-11. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21834/aje-bs.v2i4.205
Buffel, T., & Phillipson, C. (2018). A manifesto for the age-friendly movement: Developing a new urban agenda. J. Ageing Soc. Policy, 30, 173–192. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/08959420.2018.1430414
Donthu, N., Kumar, S., Mukherjee, D., Pandey, N., & Lim, W. M. (2021). How to conduct a bibliometric analysis: An overview and guidelines. Journal of Business Research, 133, 285–296. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.04.070 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.04.070
Fiocco, A. J., Millett, G., D’Amico, D., Krieger, L., Sivashankar, Y., Lee, S. H., & Lachman, R. (2021). Virtual tourism for older adults living in residential care: A mixed-methods study. PLOS ONE, 16(5), e0250761. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0250761 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0250761
Jiang, Y., & Yu, G. (2025). Navigating the nexus between senior tourism and healthy aging: a post-neoliberal perspective. Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics. https://doi.org/10.1108/apjml-08-2024-1208 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/APJML-08-2024-1208
Minghetti, V. (2018). Senior Tourism and Accessibility. Evolving trends and implications for the travel and tourism industry. In S. Francescato et al. (Eds.), Senior Tourism: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Aging and Traveling (pp. 97-116). transcript Verlag. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/9783839437032-006
Pereira, J. M., Almeida, P., & Almeida, F. (2025). Bibliometric Analysis of Key Variables in Tourism: Destination, Competitiveness, Image, Quality, and Tourist Satisfaction (2000–2023). Administrative Sciences, 15(2), 69–69. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci15020069 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci15020069
Pestana, M. H., Parreira, A., & Wang, W. C. (2019). Bibliometric analysis and trends: An application in senior tourism. Bibliometric analysis and trends: an application in senior tourism, (3), 329-345.
Qiao, G., Ding, L., Xiang, K., Prideaux, B., & Xu, J. (2023). Understanding the Value of Tourism to Seniors’ Health and Positive Aging. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(3), 1476. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19031476 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19031476
TicketingHub. (2025). Senior Tourism Trends. Ticketinghub.com. Retrieved from https://en-us.ticketinghub.com/blog/senior-tourism-trends
Sedgley, D., Pritchard, A., & Morgan, N. (2011). Tourism and ageing: A transformative research agenda. Annals of Tourism Research, 38(3), 820-835. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2011.01.004
Sheng Li, Yin, Y., & Marzudi Md Yunus. (2025). Elderly People in the Digital Cultural Environment: Social media use, environmental stress, and intergenerational interaction . Environment-Behaviour Proceedings Journal, 10(31), 433–439. https://doi.org/10.21834/e-bpj.v10i31.6643 DOI: https://doi.org/10.21834/e-bpj.v10i31.6643
Sie, D. L., Pegg, D. S., & Virginia Phelan, D. K. (2021). Senior tourists’ self-determined motivations, tour preferences, memorable experiences and subjective well-being: An integrative hierarchical model. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 47(8), 237–251. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhtm.2021.03.006 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhtm.2021.03.006
Wang, X., Li, Y., Wu, H., & Chen, J. (2023). The role of tourism in healthy aging: An interdisciplinary literature review and conceptual model. Journal of Destination Marketing & Management, 27, 100788.
World Health Organization. (2021). Global report on ageism. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/teams/social-determinants-of-health/demographic-change-and-healthy-ageing/combatting-ageism/global-report-on-ageism
Xu, J., Li, Y., & Chen, J. (2023). Identify travel and health factors influencing well-being of the older adults–a case study in China. Frontiers in Public Health, 11, 1213499. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1213499
Zhang, L., & Zhang, J. (2018). Impacts of Leisure and Tourism on the Elderly’s Quality of Life in Intimacy: A Comparative Study in Japan. Sustainability, 10(12), 4861. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10124861 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su10124861
Zheng, Y., Wang, X., & Chen, J. (2023). Virtual reality tourism for older adults in residential care: A pilot study. Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 49(11), 38-46.
Zhu, M., & Chen, J. (2024). The Role of Tourism in Enhancing Domains of Health for Seniors: A Scoping Review. Medical Journal of The Islamic Republic of Iran, 39(1), 40.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Chidchanok Anantamongkolkul, Benjamaporn Chumnanchar, JATI KASUMA ALI, LEVIANA ANDREW

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.