접근가능한 관광관점에서 본 영유아 동반 관광자에 관한 연구

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the tourist experience of individuals who travel with infants and young children from the perspective of accessible tourism using online written interviews. Colaizzi's (1978) descriptive phenomenology was used as the research method, categorizing data into 6 categories, 17 theme clusters, and 73 themes. Specifically, the study examined reasons for participating in tourism, satisfaction with tourism activities, the usefulness of parents' prior experience, considerations when engaging in tourism with infants, difficulties encountered, and strategies for overcoming these difficulties. Difficulties and strategies for overcoming them were identified within the 17 theme clusters. The findings revealed that individuals participate in tourism activities to escape their daily routines, seek new experiences, and fulfill their parental roles. Although challenges such as limited mobility and lack of convenient facilities were noted, these were viewed as obstacles that could be easily overcome by the accompanying parents. This research highlights that individuals traveling with infants and young children perceive the limitations of tourism activities as unique conditions associated with traveling with young ones, differing from previous studies. Effective strategies for overcoming difficulties included diversifying information acquisition, engaging in actions to relax psychologically, and recognizing the uniqueness of the situation. Through this experiential process, parents were able to strengthen family bonds and derive satisfaction from the joy experienced by their children, resulting in a positive and fulfilling experience. These research findings contribute to a better understanding of the tourist experience for individuals traveling with infants and young children and offer important academic implications.