Abstract
This article explores midlife single women's positive and negative perceptions of and experiences with the sociability offered on group package tours. Qualitative data were gathered from 32 women through two sets of focus group interviews and “solicited” diaries. The women focused on the joy of bonding with the other tourists in the group. This feeling gave them a sense of social inclusion in tourism spaces that were often constructed solely for families and people traveling with significant others. For some of the women, group membership was thus an agreeable substitute when lacking travel companionship. However, the somewhat enforced sociability with strangers imbued in group package tours also clashed with the midlife single women's need for independence and freedom of choice. This ambivalence suggested that group tour membership also was challenging for the women. In order to attract and accommodate to the needs of midlife single women tour operators should thus be aware of the complexity of this subject position.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.