| Author: | Shen, Wenjin |
| Title: | Analyzing spillover impact of senior tourists' technology experience on destination brand experience |
| Advisors: | Tung, Vincent (SHTM) |
| Degree: | DHTM |
| Year: | 2025 |
| Department: | School of Hotel and Tourism Management |
| Pages: | xi, 206 pages : color illustrations |
| Language: | English |
| Abstract: | With advancements in living standards, nutrition, and healthcare, human life expectancy has risen, resulting in improved quality of life. Individuals aged 50 to 75 are now healthier and more active than before. By 2030, the senior tourism sector is expected to be a significant growth area, with an estimated annual rise of 3.4 million travelers (Schröder & Widmann, 2007). Seniors today enjoy financial stability, higher incomes, less debt, and more leisure time. Unlike previous generations, they are more open to adopting technology. In China, widespread internet use among older adults has led many seniors to rely on digital tools for travel planning (Wang et al., 2017). The growing integration of mobile technology is reshaping the travel industry, influencing how tourists interact with destinations. As senior travelers increasingly incorporate technology into their journeys, its use throughout their trips and at destinations becomes inevitable. Yet, despite existing research on the topic of senior travelers and technology, understanding of how technology use impacts their destination brand experience remains limited. Destination brand experiences (DBE) are essential for highlighting a destination's uniqueness by providing impactful stimuli that create memorable experiences, thus reducing the likelihood of tourists considering alternatives. These experiences offer visitors distinctive interactions that differentiate the destination from its competitors. By triggering specific internal reactions to brand-related aspects, destination brand experience helps in identifying and distinguishing a location. Marketing strategies are used in destination branding to set a place apart while ensuring a memorable travel experience. To fill this gap, this study aims to investigate how does senior tourists' technology experience affects the destination brand experience (DBE). The study was guided by two objectives: (1) To evaluate the relationship between technology experience among senior tourists and destination brand experience (DBE) and (2) To assess the mediating power of the perceived coolness and bragging. The surveys took place in mainland China, targeting individuals aged 55 and above who had used at least one tourism technology on their previous trip. Data collection occurred between September and December 2024 through three online survey companies: Tencent Questionnaire, Huixiang Data, and Survyplus. A total of 1,119 questionnaires were distributed, with 950 completed responses received. However, 154 responses were excluded due to issues such as incomplete, incorrect, or identical answers across items. As a result, 796 valid responses remained for analysis. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to analyze the data. Results show that technology experience has a positive impact on destination brand experience (DBE), with perceived coolness and bragging acting as mediators in this relationship. Notably, while perceived coolness had a positive mediation effect, the mediation effect of bragging was negative. This study provides both theoretical contributions and practical applications. On the theoretical side, it first expands the understanding of brand experience by exploring how senior tourists' interactions with technology, perceived coolness, and bragging influence their destination brand experience. Secondly, it builds on Brakus et al. (2009) by incorporating relational and spiritual dimensions, as proposed by Ngwira et al. (2023), to evaluate technology's effect on destination brand experiences in tourism. Thirdly, the research extends the field of destination branding by investigating its relationship with technology, filling a gap where previous studies have not considered the role of technology in tourism brand experiences. Finally, it is the first to analyze how perceived coolness and bragging mediate the relationship between technology and destination brand experiences, highlighting the negative impact of bragging. Practically, the study offers valuable insights for Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs) in designing and promoting destination brand experiences specifically for senior tourists. To boost the perceived coolness of technology, DMOs should: (1) use new technologies to create customized, user-friendly experiences for seniors; (2) offer training and support to reduce anxiety and increase comfort with these tools; and (3) provide easy-to-use platforms and assistance to enrich tech experiences and attract more visitors. To reduce the negative effects of bragging on destination brand experience, DMOs should: (1) ensure senior tourists focus on the destination rather than themselves, possibly by incorporating positive elements of bragging into experiences; and (2) develop immersive, captivating on-site experiences for seniors to minimize distractions from excessive technology use. |
| Rights: | All rights reserved |
| Access: | restricted access |
Files in This Item:
| File | Description | Size | Format | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8705.pdf | For All Users (off-campus access for PolyU Staff & Students only) | 1.46 MB | Adobe PDF | View/Open |
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