Family Dynamics in Leisure and Tourism

Family leisure and tourism encompass more than mere recreational pursuits; they represent complex social processes through which kinship bonds are maintained, identities are negotiated and memories are constructed. Changing demographic patterns, such as ageing populations and geographically dispersed households, have reshaped family holiday structures, prompting a move away from traditional nuclear models towards fluid and heterogeneous configurations. Decision-making within families often involves multiple voices – from adolescents asserting influence over destinations to adult children facilitating digital engagement for older relatives. Cultural norms, including filial responsibilities and expectations of reciprocity, inform the framing of intergenerational trips, where duties of care may coexist with the pleasures of reunion. At the same time, families employ leisure journeys as vehicles for memory tourism, deliberately revisiting ancestral sites or creating shared narratives. Technological mediation through digital tools further alters family interactions, enabling virtual co-presence and redefining notions of togetherness. Attention to wellbeing outcomes highlights mental and emotional benefits for all ages, as well as potential tensions arising from generational discrepancies in priorities. Across global contexts, research underscores the practical significance of tailored tourism products and policies that account for diverse family forms, life-cycle stages and cultural imperatives.

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Family Dynamics in Leisure and Tourism publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in family dynamics in leisure and tourism across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Intergenerational interaction: Reciprocal exchanges and influences between different age groups within a family during leisure and tourism activities.

Filial piety: Cultural norm emphasising respect, care and obligation towards one’s parents and elders.

Memory tourism: Travel motivated by the desire to create, revisit or commemorate personal and familial memories.

Participative decision-making: Collaborative process wherein multiple family members contribute to choices about destinations, activities and travel arrangements.

References

1. Exploring the Process of Technology Socialization (TS) in the Family: ICT Adoption for Middle-aged Parents with the Influence of Adult Children. Information Systems Frontiers (2023).
2. Measuring Adolescent Influence Tactics With Parents in Family Vacation Decisions: A Comparable Scale Across 19 Societies. SAGE Open (2019).
3. Holidays with aging parents: pleasures, duties and constraints. Annals of Tourism Research (2019).
4. Family memory trips – children's and parents’ planning of adoption return trips. Journal of Heritage Tourism (2019).
5. The influence of progeny–Parents family travel on the well-being of the elderly in filial piety culture. PLOS ONE (2024).