| Author: | Ni, Jing |
| Title: | Does age matter for gaining happiness from cruise tourism? Understanding senior cruisers from a future time perspective |
| Advisors: | Hung, Kam (SHTM) |
| Degree: | DHTM |
| Year: | 2024 |
| Subject: | Ocean travel Cruise lines Older people -- Travel -- China Well-being Hong Kong Polytechnic University -- Dissertations |
| Department: | School of Hotel and Tourism Management |
| Pages: | viii, 152 pages : illustrations |
| Language: | English |
| Abstract: | Although cruise tourism is prosperous in North America and Europe, it only began to expand in Asia within the last decade. China has become the largest cruise market in this region, appealing to many Chinese travelers—seniors in particular. Chinese seniors’ cruise experiences merit further exploration so that firms may design products and services to meet their demands. Therefore, to better understand this consumer group, this research considers whether and how age influences their subjective well-being (SWB) derived from cruise experiences based on a future time perspective (FTP). A conceptual framework is then built to delineate the relationships among age, FTP, cruise experience choices, and SWB. To achieve these objectives, two age groups (older and younger cruisers) were compared to discern potential differences between them. Mixed methods were adopted. First, a qualitative approach consisting of 20 photo interviews was used to obtain in-depth insights and develop a measurement scale on the cruise experience. Interview data were processed via content analysis. Second, a quantitative study was performed to investigate variables’ relationships; a series of analyses were completed (e.g., descriptive analysis, reliability testing, independent samples t tests, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, and structural equation modeling). Qualitative findings revealed five dimensions of Chinese travelers’ cruise experiences: operational experiences, sensory experiences, emotional experiences, cognitive experiences, and social experiences. Quantitative results uncovered four dimensions (i.e., functional experiences, sensory experiences, reflective experiences, and social and cognitive experiences) containing 10 items tied to the cruise experience. Age was negatively related to extensive travel FTP but positively related to limited travel FTP. In addition, FTP mediated the relationship between age and cruise experiences. Seniors with limited travel FTP were more likely to choose ordinary cruise experiences, whereas non-seniors with extensive travel FTP preferred extraordinary cruise experiences. Social and cognitive experiences contributed to senior and non-seniors’ cruise-related SWB. Even though seniors and non-seniors chose different cruise experiences, seniors were as happy as non-seniors. In conclusion, this research broadens the literature on FTP and socioemotional selectivity theory (SST); enhances understanding of the cruise experience in terms of extraordinary and ordinary experiences, particularly among Chinese seniors; and enriches knowledge of travel-related SWB in a cruise context. Findings also point to practical implications for designing cruise products, services, and marketing. |
| Rights: | All rights reserved |
| Access: | restricted access |
Files in This Item:
| File | Description | Size | Format | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7872.pdf | For All Users (off-campus access for PolyU Staff & Students only) | 1.58 MB | Adobe PDF | View/Open |
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