Identifying Service Items in Travel Mobile Applications Suitable for Senior Tourists to Improve Traveling Experience

Abstract

Mobile applications (apps) are becoming a necessary product in tourism, changing service delivery, and traveling experience. With the accelerating global aging, tourism industry and product systems need to understand the requirements of seniors as a heterogeneous group and provide related services to ensure their traveling experience. Previous research has mainly focused on examining the attributes of technology products and customer engagement or acceptance through modifying models. However, the literature is insufficient in researching specific service items of apps suitable for senior tourists. Therefore, this study adopts qualitative and quantitative methods to propose five service items (healthcare service, dietary service, transportation service, reservation service, culture, and humanistic service) in travel apps that can help seniors blend into travel environment. Then we collected data (N=386) to study which service items determine traveling experience of seniors. The results show that all five-service presented in travel apps will benefit to traveling experience. Furthermore, correlations are revealed between healthcare, dietary, and transportation services. Therefore, we suggest how travel apps should be adjusted and what stakeholders can join in this field to offer services for senior tourists. The findings also enrich understandings of seniors' outdoor requirements and provide a theoretical basis for developing future aging studies.