Can Glamping be a Vacation to Help Dink Couples Relax and Maintain Close Relationships?

Abstract

Glamping brings a glamorous tourism experience providing potential opportunities to escape from daily routines and maintain relationships during difficult/special times, such as the pandemic with travel restrictions or postpandemic travel concerns. It is innovative to explore the unique group of DINK (dual income, no kids) couples using glamping as context. This study examines the variations in closeness among DINK couples based on four individual attachment styles (i.e., secure, anxious, dismissive, fearful), and explores the relationships between closeness and subjective well-being. A pilot test with 118 valid responses was adopted to ensure the validity of items and feasibility of the study design. Utilizing attachment theory with four attachment styles, the main study analyzed 940 valid responses using confirmatory factory analysis, ANOVA, and multigroup path analysis. This study highlights that people with a secure attachment style have a significantly 1) higher level of closeness with their partner and 2) stronger relationship between closeness and subjective well-being compared to the other three attachment styles (i.e., anxious, dismissive, and fearful). The results suggest that glamping providers could improve glamping environments to be peaceful and comfortable to attract potential glampers who have higher anxiety (i.e., anxious and fearful attachment styles). Further, the results indicate that glamping could serve as a setting for couples??? therapy and to celebrate special events to enhance close relationships. These promoting/marketing strategies can benefit small glamping businesses develop their products and potentially draw different types of visitors.