Leisure travel as process: understanding the relationship between leisure travel and subjective well-being among older adults

ABSTRACTThis exploratory paper contributes to a theorization of the relationship between leisure travels and subjective well-being (SWB) among older adults. Although it is generally agreed that leisure travel contributes to one's mental well-being, the processes that lead to various forms of well-being are often understudied. It is argued that a more nuanced understanding of these processes can lead to better appreciation of the meanings of travel for the older adults. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 30 older travellers to garner their thoughts on how leisure travels have contributed to their SWB. Through a thematic analysis of travel narratives, four recurring themes, namely (1) reminiscing the past, (2) bonding with family members, (3) rediscovering self and (4) forming informal networks of care (RBRiC), were identified as processes leading to various elements of SWB among older adults. Although non-exhaustive, these processes reveal the embodied meanings and experiences of travel for the individual and can potentially lead to more meaningful discussions on how various aspects of SWB are attained.KEYWORDS: Leisure travelsubjective well-beingolder adultsinformal networks of caremental wellnesssenior tourism AcknowledgmentsI would like to thank the anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments on an earlier version of the manuscript. I am grateful to our research participants who generously shared their travel stories, and to my research assistants, Tay Min, Amber Lim, and Xiao Hui Ng. This research is supported by the National Institute of Education, Singapore, under its Start-up Grant for New Assistant Professors (SUG-NAP 9/18 JJZ), and Academic Research Fund (RI 5/21 ZJJ). The usual disclaimers apply.Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.Correction StatementThis article has been corrected with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.Additional informationFundingThis work was supported by the NIE Start-up Grant for New Assistant Professors [Grant Number SUG-NAP 9/18 JJZ] and the NIE Academic Research Fund [Grant Number RI 5/21 ZJJ].