Examining Chinese adult children’s motivations for traveling with their parents

Abstract

This study examines Chinese adult children’s holiday travel with their parents as a unique type of family travel. A netnographic examination of 158 detailed online blogs was conducted to explore the adult children’s motivations for taking such travels. The results of the netnographic study revealed that the motivations for traveling with their parents by Chinese young adults include health and recovery, novelty and knowledge, commemoration and celebration, dream fulfillment, family togetherness and relationship, compensation and reward, expression of filial piety, escape and relaxation, and pleasure seeking. These motivations can be classified as parent-oriented motivations, family-oriented motivations and self-oriented motivations. The study identifies features of the adult children-senior parents’ travel market and offers insights about the continuity of family roles in the social context of an aging Chinese society. Marketing implications for this growing Chinese market are provided.