Yusuf Alper BASTURK
Abstract
The senior tourism sector, akin to other industries, has
continued to diversify and expand. Among these
emerging sectors, senior tourism has become one of the
most prominent. This study aims to analyze research
conducted in the field of senior tourism from 2014 to
2024 and identify potential future opportunities. To this
end, articles published in English in the topic category
(title, abstract, keyword plus, and author keywords) on
Web of Science, containing the terms ‘senior tourism,’
‘retirement tourism,’ ‘senior friendly tourism,’ ‘third age
tourism,’ ‘elderly tourism,’ and ‘elderly tour,’ were
examined, resulting in a total of 388 articles. The results
indicate that although publications related to senior
tourism have increased, the number of citations has
declined. The country with the highest citation count is
China, and the most relevant affiliation is Hong Kong
Polytechnic University. Among the 15 most frequently
occurring keywords, terms such as hospitality,
sustainability, motivation(s), travel, rural tourism, well
being, and quality of life are particularly prominent.
Additionally, it was observed that single-authored
papers are more prevalent than multi-authored works.
The senior tourism literature, between 2014 and 2024,
has transitioned from sector-specific and rural tourism
topics to innovative themes such as individual well
being, health, and sustainability. As of 2024, strategic
issues such as corporate social responsibility, gender
differences, and competitive advantage have become
more prominent. Senior tourism offers significant
opportunities for the sustainable growth of the health
tourism industry, in response to demographic shifts and
the increasing travel demands of the aging population.
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