Exploring memorable tourism experiences of senior tourists: An embodied cognitive perspective

Abstract

Memorable tourism experiences (MTEs) play an essential role in decision-making and revisit intentions. However, extant studies have provided limited investigation of MTEs in different groups, especially senior tourists. Thus, following embodied cognition theory, this research explores the components of senior tourists’ memorable experiences (SMTEs) with an emphasis on their body characteristics and uniqueness. Through in-depth interviews with 26 senior tourists in China, the findings show that SMTEs are the result of embodied, situational and cognitive interaction, which are related to sensory enjoyment, embodied barriers, emotional experiences, identity, control and serendipity. Interestingly, our study finds two types of interaction between sensory enjoyment and embodied barriers on shaping memory, discovering the positive role of seniors’ body state on shaping SMTEs. Findings also provide academic and practical implications to help understand senior tourists from a new perspective.