The travel constraints faced by retired travelers in the 21st

Abstract

Purpose

This purpose of this paper is to identify the travel constraints faced by retired travelers and the influence that becoming old in the 21st century exerts on the erection of travel barriers.

Design/methodology/approach

This research relies on a qualitative approach and the narrative analysis of 15 transcribed interviews with retired adults between the ages of 60 and 85 years. It uses the typology from the hierarchical leisure constraints model to identify and classify the travel constraints faced by older adults today.

Findings

Interviews with retired respondents led to the identification of 10 categories of travel constraints. The results confirm the specific influence of advancement in age and the need to reinterpret known constraints in the context of ageing today.

Research limitations/implications

This paper contributes to the understanding of the travel constraints faced by retired adults today. It reveals the necessity to take the influence of ageing today into account to fully understand travel constraints for the current generations of retired travelers.

Practical implications

This paper provides recommendations to help practitioners and social policy makers overcome the barriers that prevent retired adults from travelling.

Social implications

This research helps to understand the constraints faced by retired adults when they wish to travel and provides recommendations on how to overcome them, thus contributing to helping retired adults optimize their travel potential and reap the health and wellness benefits associated with traveling.

Originality/value

This research identifies the specific constraints faced by retired adults today and presents them in a clear and readable format of constraint categories. It extends the existing research on older consumers, marketing and tourism.

Citation

Moal, G.M. (2021), "The travel constraints faced by retired travelers in the 21st", Journal of Consumer Marketing, Vol. 38 No. 1, pp. 69-77. https://doi.org/10.1108/JCM-02-2020-3665