IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/anture/v116y2026ics016073832500204x.html

Curating memories of a future past: Anticipated nostalgia, prospective memory and travel decisions

Author

Listed:
  • Li, Lin
  • McCabe, Scott
  • Burnett, Megan
  • Li, Chunxiao

Abstract

Tourism often includes temporal dimensions due to time differences between booking and travel, leading to future imaginings and anticipations of both the journey and its positive outcomes upon returning home. Yet, we know little about the dynamic or bi-directional of these projection processes. This study introduces “anticipated nostalgia” to tourism research, revealing these bidirectional mental time-travel processes and their influence on tourist decision-making. Employing a constructivist cognitive framework and a grounded theory approach from psychology, our findings suggest that anticipated nostalgia acts as a cognitive heuristic, enhancing travel impulsivity, shaping prospective memories, and influencing proactive memory behaviors. We identify key factors influencing anticipated nostalgia, showing how prospective memory helps understand tourists' imaginative engagement with the future and therefore, decision-making processes.

Suggested Citation

  • Li, Lin & McCabe, Scott & Burnett, Megan & Li, Chunxiao, 2026. "Curating memories of a future past: Anticipated nostalgia, prospective memory and travel decisions," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 116(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:anture:v:116:y:2026:i:c:s016073832500204x
    DOI: 10.1016/j.annals.2025.104098
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S016073832500204X
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.annals.2025.104098?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Karl, Marion & Kock, Florian & Ritchie, Brent W. & Gauss, Jana, 2021. "Affective forecasting and travel decision-making: An investigation in times of a pandemic," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    2. Czernek-Marszałek, Katarzyna & McCabe, Scott, 2024. "Sampling in qualitative interview research: criteria, considerations and guidelines for success," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 104(C).
    3. Tunyaporn Vichiengior & Claire-Lise Ackermann & Adrian Palmer, 2019. "Consumer anticipation: antecedents, processes and outcomes," Post-Print hal-02129146, HAL.
    4. Prokopis A. Christou, 2020. "Tourism experiences as the remedy to nostalgia: conceptualizing the nostalgia and tourism nexus," Current Issues in Tourism, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 23(5), pages 612-625, March.
    5. Cardoso, Lucília & Dias, Francisco & de Araújo, Arthur Filipe & Andrés Marques, Maria Isabel, 2019. "A destination imagery processing model: Structural differences between dream and favourite destinations," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 81-94.
    6. Katherine L Christensen & Hal E Hershfield & Sam J Maglio, 2024. "Back to the Present: How Direction of Mental Time Travel Affects Similarity and Saving," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 51(4), pages 761-774.
    7. Kim, Youngsoo & Ribeiro, Manuel Alector & Li, Gang, 2022. "Tourism memory, mood repair and behavioral intention," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 93(C).
    8. Lu, Jiaying & Hung, Kam & Wang, Lili & Schuett, Michael A. & Hu, Liang, 2016. "Do perceptions of time affect outbound-travel motivations and intention? An investigation among Chinese seniors," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 1-12.
    9. Sterchele, Davide, 2020. "Memorable tourism experiences and their consequences: An interaction ritual (IR) theory approach," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    10. Miyakawa, Erika & Pearce, Philip L. & Oguchi, Takashi, 2022. "Savoring tourism: Exploring basic processes," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 97(C).
    11. Chen, Hung-Bin & Yeh, Shih-Shuo & Huan, Tzung-Cheng, 2014. "Nostalgic emotion, experiential value, brand image, and consumption intentions of customers of nostalgic-themed restaurants," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 67(3), pages 354-360.
    12. Yoy Bergs & Ondrej Mitas & Bert Smit & Jeroen Nawijn, 2020. "Anticipatory nostalgia in experience design," Current Issues in Tourism, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 23(22), pages 2798-2810, November.
    13. Herman Aguinis & Angelo M. Solarino, 2019. "Transparency and replicability in qualitative research: The case of interviews with elite informants," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 40(8), pages 1291-1315, August.
    14. Lan Xu & Shuangshuang Zhao & June Cotte & Nan Cui & J Jeffrey Inman & Ajay Kalra, 2023. "Cyclical Time Is Greener: The Impact of Temporal Perspective on Pro-Environmental Behavior," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 50(4), pages 722-741.
    15. Li, Chunxiao & Li, Lin & Li, Xiang (Robert), 2025. "Tourism uniqueness: Entropy reduction through volitional system switching," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 115(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Kostyk, Alena & Cowan, Kirsten & Dessart, Laurence & Schyns, Michaël, 2024. "Memories of tourism brands in virtual reality," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 109(C).
    2. Sariişik Mehmet & Ceylan Veli & Kapucuoğlu Mustafa İnanç, 2023. "Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on travel behavior: A case study of domestic inbound travelers in Turkey," European Journal of Tourism, Hospitality and Recreation, Sciendo, vol. 13(2), pages 211-224, December.
    3. Gengeswari Krishnapillai & Kwok See Ying, 2017. "The Infl uence of Electronic-Word-of-Mouth on Travel Intention among Foreign Students in Malaysia: Does Gender Really Matter?," International Review of Management and Marketing, Econjournals, vol. 7(1), pages 475-483.
    4. Lai, Kee-hung & Feng, Yunting & Zhu, Qinghua, 2023. "Digital transformation for green supply chain innovation in manufacturing operations," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 175(C).
    5. Xiaowei Jiang & Jian Ran & Jiahui Guo & Jingjing Luo & Ziyan Tang, 2025. "Does Sense of Tourism Ritual Promote Tourists’ Protection Behavior of Destination Folk Culture?," SAGE Open, , vol. 15(3), pages 21582440251, August.
    6. Liu, Xing (Stella) & Li, Xiaonan & Law, Rob, 2025. "Leveraging rituals to boost unity of employee-robot team," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 115(C).
    7. Thuy Séran & Anne-Sophie Fernandez & Hervé Chappert, 2024. "Managing coopetition in multi-unit organizations: a management-control perspective," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 18(10), pages 2889-2924, October.
    8. Bouncken, Ricarda B. & Qiu, Yixin & García, F. Javier Sendra, 2021. "Flexible pattern matching approach: Suggestions for augmenting theory evolvement," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 167(C).
    9. Tania Pereira Christopoulos & Pedro Verga Matos & Rafael Drumond Borges, 2024. "An Ecosystem for Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation: How the State Integrates Actors for Developing Impact Investing in Portugal," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 15(2), pages 7968-7992, June.
    10. Fanny Reniou & Elisa Monnot, 2023. "Consumer Discipline: A Safeguard to Maintain Sustainable Consumption Patterns," Thema Working Papers 2023-19, THEMA (Théorie Economique, Modélisation et Applications), CY Cergy-Paris University, ESSEC and CNRS.
    11. Hyesun Kim & Jooa Baek & Yeongbae Choe, 2021. "Family life cycle and preferences for a mega-sporting event package: The case of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games," Tourism Economics, , vol. 27(3), pages 548-568, May.
    12. Jingchao Zhou & Jinfeng Wu & Zihao Wang, 2023. "Destination Reputation Management: The Divergent Role of Tourists’ Word of Mouth in Urban China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(16), pages 1-16, August.
    13. José F Baños-Pino & David Boto-García & Eduardo Del Valle & Inés Sustacha, 2023. "The impact of COVID-19 on tourists’ length of stay and daily expenditures," Tourism Economics, , vol. 29(2), pages 437-459, March.
    14. Yung-Lun Liu & Jui-Te Chiang & Pen-Fa Ko, 2023. "The benefits of tourism for rural community development," Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-12, December.
    15. R. Filieri & D. Yen & Q. Yu, 2021. "#ILoveLondon: An exploration of the declaration of love towards a destination on Instagram," Post-Print hal-04779111, HAL.
    16. Conroy, Kieran M. & Jacobs, Simon & Liu, Yang, 2023. "The dual knowledge role of open innovation intermediaries: Internal weaving and external filtering for MNE subsidiaries," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 123(C).
    17. Angelo M. Solarino & Herman Aguinis, 2021. "Challenges and Best‐practice Recommendations for Designing and Conducting Interviews with Elite Informants," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 58(3), pages 649-672, May.
    18. Urrila, Laura & Eva, Nathan, 2024. "Developing oneself to serve others? Servant leadership practices of mindfulness-trained leaders," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 183(C).
    19. Diego R. Toubes & Jaime Álvarez Torre & Arthur Filipe Araújo, 2023. "The Zika virus crisis during the 2016 Rio Olympic Games: a media cover analysis," Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-11, December.
    20. Seyfi, Siamak & Kimbu, Albert Nsom & Vo-Thanh, Tan & Zaman, Mustafeed, 2025. "Tourism, consent, and resistance: A Gramscian lens," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 115(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:anture:v:116:y:2026:i:c:s016073832500204x. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/annals-of-tourism-research/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.