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A number of studies have investigated the impact of tourism experiences on health and well-being; however, very little is known about the underlying psychological factors and the mechanisms involved. Several researchers have suggested that happiness and tourism activities are strongly linked, but relatively little research has looked at potential connections between tourism and happiness, subjective well-being (SWB) and quality of life, especially for older travelers in an ageing world. Psychologically, tourism provides the greatest benefits for older travelers, as tourism provides the means by which many older adults are able to seek happiness and positive feelings related to their well-being and quality of life. This is because it helps improve mood while creating a positive outlook, feelings of well-being, and cheerfulness for older tourists. This conceptual paper focuses on how travel contributes to older tourists’ feelings of happiness and well-being. The findings will provide a deeper understanding of the potential relationship between tourism and mental health, to determine if tourism can positively affect people’s lives and make them feel happy. Varios estudios han investigado el impacto de las experiencias turísticas en la salud y el bienestar, pero se sabe muy poco sobre los factores psicológicos subyacentes y los me-canismos implicados. Varios investigadores han sugerido que la felicidad y las activida-des turísticas están estrechamente vincula-das, pero se ha investigado relativamente poco sobre las posibles conexiones entre el turismo y la felicidad, el bienestar subjetivo (BS) y la calidad de vida, especialmente en el caso de los viajeros de más edad en un mundo que envejece. Desde el punto de vista psicológico, el turismo aporta los ma-yores beneficios a los viajeros de más edad, ya que el turismo proporciona los medios por los que los adultos mayores pueden buscar la felicidad y sentimientos positivos relacionados con su bienestar y calidad de vida. Esto se debe a que ayuda a mejorar el estado de ánimo, crea una perspectiva positiva y sentimientos positivos de bienes-tar y alegría para los turistas mayores. Este artículo conceptual se centrará en cómo los viajes contribuyen a los sentimientos de felicidad y bienestar de los turistas de más edad. Las conclusiones proporcionarán una comprensión más profunda de la posible relación entre el turismo y la salud mental, para determinar si el turismo puede afectar positivamente a la vida de las personas, su bienestar y hacer que se sientan felices

Purpose The purpose of this study is to provide a comprehensive review of the contribution of tourism to the development of healthy lives and to promote feelings of well-being for older adults. This is related to the 2030 agenda sustainable development goal (SDG) 3 to “ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages”. Design/methodology/approach This paper is presented as a conceptual review that will bridge the research gap between tourism and demography and will focus on travel for older tourists that supports a healthy lifestyle and helps to develop positive feelings of well-being. Findings The aging population and changing demographic structure will present both possibilities and difficulties for the economy, services and society. Developing innovative ways to assist people to remain active as they age is important, as well as providing measures to combat loneliness is paramount. Tourism and travel can play a significant role to achieve this SDG. Research limitations/implications A theoretical framework was developed to acknowledge the four contributions (from a physical, psychological [or intellectual], social and spiritual perspective), organizing the findings into a holistic model of health and wellness, which helped to delineate the research. There is a need for a deeper comprehension of a strategy to promote the benefits of leisure travelling that are linked to active ageing and well-being. Practical implications Destination Marketing Organizations and Tourism marketers need to carefully consider the challenges and implications and identify the key drivers that will be vital to propose strategic solutions and innovations to meet the future demands and expectations of older people in an ageing society. Destination management organizations need to promote and plan “memorable experiences” for older tourists that emphasize the physical health benefits, especially if it is feasible in a natural setting. Social implications Social experiences are essential in older people’s lives that can help them avoid feelings of depression and isolation. The transformative promise of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its SDGs identify key drivers to propose strategic solutions and innovations to meet the future demands and expectations of older people in an ageing society. Originality/value This study provides a qualitative overview of extant literature, examining the role of tourism from a physical, psychological (or intellectual), social and spiritual perspective that has proved important in promoting a healthy lifestyle as well as creating positive feelings of well-being for older travellers. It also offers future directions and builds theory through a holistic model of the dimensions of wellness. Further, it proposes future research priorities related to older individuals that are linked to healthy lifestyles, which include tourism experiences.

Gastronomic tourism is creating increased interest as a new and emerging niche market. It is attracting large numbers of tourists (or foodies) who want to sample local cuisine and this is one of the major reasons for travelling to new and exotic locations. One of the motivating forces to travel both globally and locally is to gain in-depth knowledge of a country’s local and rural cuisine. Many local dishes have been prepared according to traditional recipes which have been handed down over many centuries and have become an important means of learning about a region’s culture and heritage. Gastronomy is also an important element of Uzbekistan’s local culture and identity. The preparation of traditional dishes dates back to the ancient times of the ‘Great Silk Road’. This paper concludes with suggestions to promote the importance of gastronomic tourism and to raise its profile as an emerging niche market in Uzbekistan (150 words).

For the first time in human history, people aged 65 years and older now outnumber children under 5 years of age on a worldwide basis. Because of this trend, population aging is primed to develop into one of the most significant social transformations in the 21st century, which will have consequences for most sections of society. Previously, there had been false perceptions and misconceptions attached to attitudes toward older people; one of these is that they are too frail and ill to travel. However, recent research has found that seniors (aged 65 years and older) are healthier, fitter, and more active and travel more frequently than previous generations. Because of this emerging trend, it is crucial that tourism providers are made aware of the importance of satisfying the needs and wants of senior consumers. This can be achieved by making a concerted effort to thoroughly understand this target market, as different segments of older tourists have different needs, wants, and preferences. Seniors in particular are eager to travel and enjoy the tourist experience, wanting to optimize their time, money, and greater freedom that retirement brings. However, seniors are living and traveling differently to previous generations, and new niche tourist markets are beginning to emerge. One of the new areas of the growth is gastronomic tourism. The influence of gastronomy on tourism has provided new and exciting opportunities for major stakeholders in the tourism and travel industry, which had previously emphasized homogeneity and stereotyped travel behavior for older travelers. This chapter will explore the growth of this niche market and discuss how this new market segment can attract senior tourists.

The tourism sector is becoming one of the most important strategic sectors of Uzbekistan. Presently, reforms are underway to develop strategies to solve many of the important social and economic issues such as job creation, expand the economy and hasten the development of the regional areas, as well as increasing earnings and quality of life of the country’s population. The main priorities of the state government policy in the field of tourism includes supporting its status as a strategic sector of the economy, and as a powerful tool for sustainable development. Between 2018-2019 this strategy is a logical continuation of state policy. This has been pursued by the country’s management and is aimed at maximizing the creation of an environment that includes economic, administrative and legal aspects which will contribute to the accelerated development of the tourism industry in Uzbekistan. Furthermore, this also includes expanding the economic potential of the regions and their revenue base, creating new jobs, increasing the number of tourists arriving in the republic, as well as actively promoting the national tourist product to world markets

The United Nations (2015) has recognised that the numbers of older people are growing rapidly, and has estimated that over two billion people will be aged 60 years and over by the year 2050, which will account for 22% (or one out of five) of the world’s population, compared to 10% in 2000. As a result of this population explosion it is anticipated that senior tourism will become an evolving and changing market segment. However, very little attention has been given in the literature to the impact of travel behaviour on the well-being of senior tourists and has received insufficient attention in the ageing research agenda. This has resulted in many travel businesses operating with a lack of understanding of the characteristics and concerns of senior travellers, and the different ways that they consume tourism. This article provides an analysis of the literature on the socio-demographics of seniors and their increased desire to participate in new and different tourism experiences; discusses different trends in their leisure behaviour, and draws implications for tourism providers. The literature presented in this review was identified through multiple sources including the use of a range of tourism databases and tracking citations from the research literature. This review has a twofold aim: to provide a deeper understanding of the senior market segment in regard to their expectations, needs and wants when travelling; and an examination of the benefits obtained from leisure travelling which has been linked to concepts such as active ageing and wellbeing. Findings generated by this approach will help create innovative ways for tourism providers to address some of the future trends identified in the research literature.

Globally, the number of baby boomers who are age 60 years and over are expected to more than double, from 841 million people in 2013 to more than 2 billion in 2050. In recent years, boomers have demonstrated that they are willing participants in new and memorable experiences where they can learn and broaden their minds through travel to new locations and to learn more about different cultures through a variety of first-hand experiences. As a result, the numbers of baby boomer travelers over 60 years of age have grown substantially from 593 million international travelers in 1999, which has been forecast to exceed 2 billion trips per annum by 2050. The hotel and resort industry needs to respond to their changing needs, and allow guests to achieve memorable experiences in exotic and different destinations as well as through the provision of hotel design that is inextricably linked to the place they are visiting. This article outlines the changing sociodemographic trends of baby boomers, examines the...

Background: In-transit metastasis from cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is an uncommon form of metastasis through lymphatics and occurs more commonly in immunosuppressed patients. Objective: To identify cases of in-transit SCC and determine patient characteristics, tumor features, management, and prognosis. Methods and materials: A multicenter case series treated by Australian and New Zealand clinicians. Results: In 31 patients, median age was 72 years (range 52-99) and 68% were immunocompetent. Tumors occurred on the head and neck in 94% of cases, with 71% of all tumors occurring on the scalp, forehead, or temple. The median time to presentation with in-transit SCC from treatment of the initial tumor was 5 months. Management included surgery (94%), radiotherapy (77%), chemotherapy (10%), and reduction of immunosuppression (3%). Median follow-up was 12 months. Overall survival at 3 and 5 years were 27% and 13%, respectively. Conclusion: In-transit metastases are described in 31 patients, of whom the majority was immunocompetent. The scalp, forehead, and temple were the most common sites. New clinical and histological diagnostic criteria are proposed. Prognosis was poor with 5-year survival of 13%. Recommended management is a combination of surgery and adjuvant radiotherapy. Reduction of any iatrogenic immunosuppression should be considered.

This paper focuses on an understanding of the senior tourism market through an exploration the global-local dimension of international strategies that firms and destinations could implement in order to fit this high growing demand segment. We will argue that this market trend is a global one with an increasing presence in all the continents and in every type of country, from the most advanced to developing countries. This does not mean that the answer to this trend can always be a global strategy, meaning to provide the same touristic product for all seniors in every country. To determine an international strategy it is important to know if the tourism behaviour of seniors, and their motivations and determinants are common internationally; or do they show substantial differences that require a strategic adaptation, depending on the country of origin. To begin exploring this important issue, we decided to undertake exploratory research (Kozak Tourism Management, 23(3), 221–232, 2002; Patuelli and Nijkamp 2015) based on a meta-analysis of the literature, to design a model for classifying the variables identified in each country, testing their capabilities so as to be comprehensive, and reflect upon the common denominators that may articulate a global tourism market and the variables that encourage major differences to emerge. Our conclusions found that both dimensions coexist, making it possible to apply both global and local strategies, and preferably transnational approaches. This allowed us to validate our model as an useful tool to summarize previous research and to structure in a holistic way the diverse variables to consider a better understanding of the senior tourism market. Further research is proposed to advance more accurate conclusions.

Recently there has been an abundance of research on “grey nomad” travel in Australia and this subset of drive tourism is regarded as an expanding travel market segment. Grey nomads are older people, 55 years and older, who travel independently for extended periods of time. However, little attention has been given to short-stay travel by older adults who are members of a caravan club. Such membership involves attendance at monthly rallies over a weekend at a selected destination that is usually approximately 200 km from the club's base location. A total of 30 interviews were conducted to explore the benefits of short-stay caravanning to older people's lives. A number of motivations emerged from the interviews, such as friendship with like-minded travelers; discovering new places; and experiencing feelings of enjoyment. Overall, short-stay travel was strongly linked to the importance of making new friends and being part of a social group, as well as the enjoyment received from discovering new and exciting places to visit.

BackgroundThe transcriptional coactivator peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator (PGC-1α), termed the ‘master regulator of mitochondrial biogenesis’, has been implicated in stress and resilience to stress-induced depressive-like behaviours in animal models. However, there has been no study conducted to date to examine PGC-1α levels in patients with depression or in response to antidepressant treatment. Our aim was to assess PGC-1α mRNA levels in blood from healthy controls and patients with depression pre-/post-electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), and to examine the relationship between blood PGC-1α mRNA levels and clinical symptoms and outcomes with ECT.MethodsWhole blood PGC-1α mRNA levels were analysed in samples from 67 patients with a major depressive episode and 70 healthy controls, and in patient samples following a course of ECT using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Exploratory subgroup correlational analyses were carried out to determine the relationship between PGC-1α and mood scores.ResultsPGC-1α levels were lower in patients with depression compared with healthy controls (p = 0.03). This lower level was predominantly accounted for by patients with psychotic unipolar depression (p = 0.004). ECT did not alter PGC-1α levels in the depressed group as a whole, though exploratory analyses revealed a significant increase in PGC-1α in patients with psychotic unipolar depression post-ECT (p = 0.045). We found no relationship between PGC-1α mRNA levels and depression severity or the clinical response to ECT.ConclusionsPGC-1α may represent a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of depression, and be a common link between various pathophysiological processes implicated in depression.

In the (often left-wing) writings on the Spanish Civil War, the idea of sacrifice (both transitive and intransitive) is intertwined with theories and practices of class conflict. The secular bent to much left-wing thinking did not preclude using associations with religious sacrifice to characterize the war’s fatalities; the bombing of Guernica and Madrid, for example, were both described as ‘martyrdoms’. Even in those views of the war that emphasized the importance of dialectical materialism, there is often an inherent logic of self-sacrifice—particularly for those middle-class and intellectual members of the Communist left whose commitment to revolution included a commitment to the supersession of their own individuality in the name of the party. This chapter examines how such ideological figurings of sacrifice are presented in lyrical and elegiac poems by poets such as W. H. Auden, Stephen Spender, Clive Branson, George Barker, Margot Heinemann, and Cecil Day Lewis.

As a direct consequence of global ageing patterns, older travellers have become a significant proportion of annual total holiday spending. In addition, this has also brought with it a shift in the types of travel experiences that older travellers are now choosing. Educational and cultural touristic experiences are now becoming popular options for many older individuals, as they provide greater opportunities for meaningful engagement as well as tapping into their renewed interest for history and nostalgia. At the same time, older travellers are placing a greater value on lifelong learning that may help to enrich their life. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the educational travel experiences of older adults through the development of an integrated framework that links the three stages of educational travel: pre-travel, participation, and post-travel. It is envisaged that this framework will contribute to the development of a conceptual model for successful ageing that acknowledges the significa...

Serious leisure and social world theory provide a framework to qualitatively examine a small number of yoga participants with regard to their social world connections and propensity to engage in event tourism. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposeful sample of 15 yoga practitioners in Brisbane, Australia. For most devotees, yoga was regarded as serious leisure with a social world in which highly involved ‘actors’ participated in a range of ‘insider’ capacities. Social engagement was a strong motivator and having friends involved with, and building strong friendships through yoga was a common denominator. It was found that there was a strong association between the social world of yoga and event tourism, and a new model titled the ‘yoga devotee career trajectory’ was developed. Yoga was considered to be a unique and personal journey which became a complete lifestyle involving continuous learning and self-exploration. Theoretical and future research implications were also discussed.

This paper investigates how a group of novice marathon runners become immersed in the social world of a distance running community. A qualitative research design involved a combination of interviews and observations from within the social world of the distance running community. This fieldwork was undertaken in the traditional three month training period leading up to a major international marathon on the Gold Coast, in Queensland, Australia. Two groups were tracked using these methods: the first were runners who trained with a club while the second group were runners who trained individually. The findings suggest that novice runners who trained with a club progressively identified with the values and behaviors of the social world of the long distance runner.

In this conceptual article we examine the interrelationships between two fields of study, specifically the real and potential contributions of leisure studies to event studies. Furthermore, we consider the evolution of the two fields, philosophical discourses and theories associated with both. Epistemologically, both event and leisure studies have drawn heavily from the same foundation disciplines when focusing on motivation, experience, and benefits. Ontologically, event studies seeks to develop distinct concepts that differentiate planned event experiences and the meanings attached to them, but there are definitely shared areas of knowledge with leisure studies. Specific leisure philosophies, and theories are examined as to their current and potential application within event studies, and insights are provided about how these two closely related fields can cooperate in the future for their mutual benefit.

The academic study of motorcycle racing represents a relatively new area of research. While numerous studies have been conducted on motorcycle gangs, no studies have investigated the serious leisure world of the motorcycle racer, a sport in which motorcyclists may reach speeds in excess of 200 km/hour, with accidents likely to result in serious injury or death. A small sample of eight motorcycle road racers who, at the time of this research, were competing at the national level of the sport in Australia were interviewed by telephone with the conversations recorded for transcription and content analysis. An exploratory qualitative research design underpinned by grounded theory and involving the use of an interview schedule composed of open-structured interviews gave each rider the freedom to outline their own understandings and interpretations of how they engaged in their chosen sport. Common themes that emerged from their personal stories included a discussion of what one racer referred to as a “rider hie...

This study aims to investigate the level of walking behaviour of three major ethnic groups living in Kuala Lumpur and to ascertain the main influencing factors on walking behaviour using a Health Belief Model as the theoretical base. An explanatory mixed method research design was used in this study. A total of 2150 questionnaires were mailed to a randomly selected sample from the Kuala Lumpur enumeration block, of which 478 were returned, consisting of 169 Malays, 164 Chinese, and 145 Indians. In the qualitative phase 30 respondents were equally selected from the three ethnic groups. A comparison of the walking behaviour levels between the three ethnic groups found that only 18.9% of Chinese, 37.9% of Malays, and 49.7% of Indian respondents reported that they had reached the recommended level for walking activity per week to receive the recommended health benefits. The study findings demonstrated that the perceived health beliefs from walking were found to influence respondent walking behaviour....

Volunteer tourism has emerged in recent years as a means of successfully attracting new travelers to specific regions through the offering of experiences designed to meet core individual interests related to volunteering and nature conservation. This study sought to examine the motivations of volunteer tourists who participated in a Conservation Volunteer Australia (CVA), work-based, alternative tourism experience in far North Queensland, Australia. As part of this study, an exploration of individual expectations and reasons for engagement were undertaken. The data was obtained via the collection of field notes and a series of one-on-one, in-depth interviews with program participants over a 2-week period. Study results revealed that the primary motivators for program participation included (a) the desire to meet new people while traveling, (b) experiencing a unique natural environment or geographical location where few tourists had previously visited, and (c) a desire to engage in an alternative tourism o...

Despite the recognized importance of seasonality for tourism businesses, there has been a distinct lack of studies undertaken in the past that discuss the impact of seasonality on alpine accommodation resorts, and more specifically that focus on an Australian location. The main purpose of this study was to examine whether or not the Australian alpine accommodation providers and ski operations have been significantly impacted by the issue of seasonality and to determine more specifically, had there been industry pressure placed on them to become all season operations? For this study, a total of 15 semi-structured interviews were conducted with managers of hospitality businesses located in the sub-alpine region of Jindabyne, and nearby alpine areas of Perisher and Thredbo in New South Wales, Australia. Study results indicated that the majority of managers acknowledged the fact that there has been an increase in the number of summer visitors each year which has pressured them to make changes to their operations. They conceded that such activity has served to reinforce a ‘stand alone’ mindset which was still prevalent amongst the majority of the managers in the region.

The last decade has seen an increasing interest in disability, access and tourism. This has culminated in the emergence of a body of work on “accessible tourism.” Disability and access have been the subject of a great deal of government regulation and coordination through building codes, awareness training and state-based tourism marketing authorities and policy engagement. Yet, the supply-side perspective of industry responses to this consumer group has been under researched (Darcy & Pegg, 2011). This study seeks to redress this omission through examining the attitudes and experiences of tourism operators. The area chosen for the study was Queensland, Australia. In-depth interviews were conducted with 32 tourism operators across five major regional tourism locations. The interviews investigated the level of engagement with the consumer group, their motivations for catering for the group and their experiences with the service provision to the group. The results of the study showed that, while the macro policy environment is conducive to having an accessible built environment, transport and service sector, the level of engagement by the tourism industry still involves an ad hoc process of trial and error on the part of individual operators. In comparison with previous decades, tourism operators are now making significant efforts to make their products and services more accessible to people with disabilities. However, most operators in the study noted that there is still a weak demand from the accessible tourism market and low recognition of their existing product offerings. © 2012 World Leisure Organization.

A national survey of the health behaviour of Malaysian adults (2004) has found that there has been a 280% increase in obesity since 1996. This level of obesity was slightly higher in urban areas such as Kuala Lumpur, which is a cause for great concern because it has been attributed to an unhealthy sedentary lifestyle brought about by rapid urbanisation, economic growth, and technological advances. As a result, local government authorities are now investigating ways to encourage a higher level of walking behaviour. Trail provision has been found to be one of best intervention strategies to increase walking in neighbourhood areas; however, patterns of walking behaviour and the specific trail characteristics that are required by a multiracial community in Kuala Lumpur are largely unknown. This study investigates the importance of walking trails, and the characteristics that can increase walking activity, among three different ethnic groups of Kuala Lumpur residents, namely Malay, Chinese and Indian. A questi...

The "grey nomad" phenomenon is a growth market in Australia. Grey nomads are one type of grey tourist, and are generally referred to as people who are aged 55 years and over, who independently travel around Australia by caravan or campervan for an extended period of time. This study used an ethnographic methodology to collect qualitative data from four couples who undertook an extended, multidestination holiday through the Northern Territory and the State of Western Australia. Narratives were used to illustrate a variety of themes that emerged about the everyday experiences of grey nomads on tour. Travel diaries, and a questionnaire that was completed at the end of the trip, were used as a means of investigating the nomad's engagement with friends and family while "on the road." This article argues that being "far away" physically did not necessarily mean that they were disengaged and isolated for their family and friends. Rather, the study results suggest that these ties were important connections that were maintained throughout their travels.

Recent media releases have highlighted the increasing problem that binge drinking and excessive alcohol consumption is creating among Australian youth. Yet despite these concerns, it would appear that little attention has been given to this core problem by many sport event organizers beyond the standard security measures. The Australian University Games, the largest event of its type held annually in the Southern Hemisphere, attracts more than 6,500 participants as well as 1,700 different teams and support staff for 1 week of scheduled sporting and social activities. Despite its size and complexity, only limited research had been undertaken to date with respect to the motivations, behavior, and perspectives of young adults attending this type of university-related sport tourism event. The primary aim of this exploratory study was to identify the underlying motivations for students to participate in the Australian University Games in Brisbane, Australia, and their subsequent use of alcohol during the event. Importantly the study also sought to determine whether a relationship existed between the participants' motivations and their predisposition to engage in alcohol consumption. Study results found that socializing and being with friends were critical factors for the participants. It was also found that alcohol consumption figured prominently in the lives of the majority of attendees. These findings have provided strong support for the provision of a cohesive and purposeful social program as a major component part of the wider sporting based activities, and needs to be seen as a critical factor in the successful staging of future sports events such as the University Games. Results also highlighted the need for event organizers to schedule more social activities, which are paramount when seeking to effectively reduce the level of risk as well as need for better profiling of event participants, which needs be implemented by management in the event preplanning stage.

This study examines a network of community groups and the civic, commercial, and educational organizations involved with amateur artists in a regional Australian city. Social network analysis using measures for density, centrality, centralization, and cliques revealed that the groups and the organizations formed several clusters around types of creative artists and that service organizations were the communication hubs in the network. Recommendations include improving community networks by weaving better linkages among groups and organizations and the undertaking of research into the multiple leisure networks that occur in local government areas.

Event managers are increasingly under pressure to develop new strategies that will optimize any competitive advantages that their event may have, while, at the same time, minimizing their operation's vulnerability to external threats and emulation. Yet, for all this, little research has been done to date with respect to visitor engagement in events, such as music festivals, in the Australian setting. With this in mind, the principal aim of this study was to profile visitors who attended the Tamworth Country Music Festival to determine their main motivations for attendance and what aspects of the event have differentiated it from others of its type. Overall, over 1,500 visitor surveys were collected, with results showing that there was a significant difference among festival visitors with respect to their activity engagement, reasons for attending the festival, and assessment of it when comparisons across key study variables were determined. These findings provide clear insights into the changing nature of...