Special Issue on Aging in Tourism and Hospitality

The global demographic shift towards an aging population has significant implications for the tourism and hospitality industry. As life expectancy increases and retirement ages extend, older individuals play a crucial role in shaping tourism demand, employment patterns, and destination development strategies. Recognizing the importance of this emerging trend, this Special Issue aims to explore the multifaceted aspects of aging in the context of tourism and hospitality.

Submit your manuscript proposals.

Read the full Instructions to Authors.

Read on to discover more information about the following aspects of your submission.

Scope & Aim

We invite researchers to submit conceptual and empirical research papers utilizing a variety of research methodologies, such as quantitative, qualitative, experimental design, case study, and mixed methods. We encourage studies that investigate multiple levels of analysis, including cross-comparative international and national levels, industry level, organizational and team levels, and individual level. We particularly value research that embraces a multi-disciplinary approach and employs robust study designs instead of relying solely on cross-sectional data. Manuscripts that build upon existing theoretical frameworks or contribute to the development of new theories are highly appreciated.

This Special Issue aims to cover three broad topic areas related to aging in the context of tourism and hospitality: the impact of aging on customers, employees, and destination development. We welcome manuscripts addressing conceptual, methodological, critical, and empirical issues within these areas. Possible themes for submissions include, but are not limited to:

• Active aging and wellness: Promoting active aging by providing opportunities for seniors to engage in meaningful leisure activities, emphasizing physical fitness, social engagement, and lifelong learning to enhance wellness and quality of life during retirement.
• Retirement financial wellbeing and tourism: The impact of longer life expectancy, inflation, inadequate pension plans, rising healthcare costs, and economic uncertainty on individuals' ability to save for retirement and its effect on their tourism and hospitality consumption.
• Ageism and tourism: Exploring how ageism influences perceptions and treatment of older customers in the tourism and hospitality industry, leading to patronizing behavior, exclusion and limited opportunities for activities and experiences.
• Multi-generational travel: The popularity of multi-generational travel among aging societies, where older adults travel with their children, grandchildren, or extended family members, fostering intergenerational bonding and shared experiences.
• Aging and wellbeing in the tourism/hospitality workforce: Examining the impact of different generations in the tourism/hospitality workforce, promoting an inclusive workforce, and considering the well-being of older workers.
• Technology and older employees: Investigating the impact of technology on older employees in the tourism/hospitality industry, exploring how advancements in technology affect the work environment, job security, job responsibilities, and skill requirements for older workers.
• Technology and older travelers: Exploring the role of technology in addressing the needs and preferences of older travelers, improving accessibility, enhancing travel experiences, and facilitating communication.
• Accessible tourism: Addressing the importance of accessible tourism for older individuals with mobility and/or other limitations (e. g., dietary restrictions), ensuring inclusivity and equal opportunities for participation in tourism/hospitality experiences and activities.
• Silver tourism: The rise of "silver tourism" catering to older adults, including senior-friendly accommodations, specialized tours, and activities tailored to the needs and interests of older travelers, such as nostalgia-based experiences.
• Aging population and medical tourism: The rise of medical tourism due to the aging population seeking specialized healthcare services, treatments for age-related conditions, and affordable medical care, including quality assurance, follow-up care, and managing potential risks.
• Tourism and end-of-life care: Increasing longevity and aging populations also indicate a soaring demand for end-of-life care services. To improve standards of end-of-life care translates into significant gains for humanity's quality of life. How can the tourism/hospitality industry, collaborating with the healthcare industry, help improve services for dealing with the end of life?
• Retirement migration: The trend of retirees from affluent countries choosing foreign destinations for their retirement years, considering factors like quality of life, cost of living, and favorable climates, and examining the impact on service delivery, local economies, infrastructure, and social dynamics.
• Cross-cultural studies: Exploring the cross-cultural aspects of aging and retirement in tourism and hospitality, analyzing the similarities and differences in organization behavior or customer behavior adapting to older employees/customers across different cultures and societies.
• Theory development and conceptual papers: Encouraging the development of theoretical frameworks and conceptual papers that contribute to a deeper understanding of aging population in tourism and hospitality, including factors influencing older customers as well as older workers.
• Any other topics related to the theme of the special issue.

Proposal Process

Interested authors should submit a short proposal (1,000 words maximum, excluding references) that describes the paper they intend to write (including an outline). Proposals will be reviewed by the co-editors and evaluated using the following criteria: (a) responsiveness to the call, (b) degree of potential to enhance our understanding of age-related tourism/hospitality topics, (c) scientific merit, (d) likelihood of successful completion within timeline, (e) fit with other submissions, and (f) applicability to journal mission. Proposals that pass the co-editors' review will receive full manuscript submission invitation.

Contributors should indicate in their cover letter that they would like to have the proposal considered for the Special Issue on Aging in Tourism and Hospitality.

Submit your manuscript proposals.

Full Manuscripts

Full manuscripts will be limited to 60 standard manuscript pages (including all figures, tables, and references; authors can ask for editorial approval of a longer paper if commensurate to its contribution). Manuscripts will undergo a regular double-blind peer-review process.

All full-manuscript submissions should be prepared in accordance with Work, Aging and Retirement's author guidelines and be submitted through the journal's submission portal as revisions to the original proposal submission.

Timeline and Submission Process

Guest Editors

Christina G. Chi, Ph.D.

Professor
School of Hospitality Business Management
Carson College of Business
Washington State University
School of Tourism and Hospitality
University of Johannesburg, South Africa
Email: christina.chi@wsu.edu

Oscar Hengxuan Chi, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor
Department of Tourism, Hospitality & Event Management
College of Health and Human Performance
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL 32611-8209, USA
Email: h.chi@ufl.edu

Ki-Joon Back, Ph.D.

Associate Dean, Eric Hilton Distinguished Chair Professor
Conrad N. Hilton College of Global Hospitality Business
 University of Houston
 Houston, TX 77204-3028, U.S.A.                                          
 Email: kback@uh.edu

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Donald Truxillo
Professor
Kemmy Business School, University of Limerick
Castletroy
Ireland
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