Motivations of senior tourists: the case of the Azores Islands, Portugal.

Senior tourism is increasingly expanding. This quantitative and exploratory study aims to understand the motivations that drive elderly travellers to visit the Azores. The Senior Tourists Motivation Scale (STMS) was applied to 470 participants. Collected data were submitted to nonparametric tests. The results showed that: i) STMS items' scores differ according to the type of tourist (national or foreign); ii) scores obtained in the three factors of the STMS differ between the two types of tourists, different age groups and levels of income perception. These findings may contribute in the future to the identification of market niches so that decision-makers can develop activities that suit these tourists' needs and desires. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]