Healthy Aging in the Tourism Industry: A Systematic Literature Review

In the context of global demographic aging, investigating the role of tourism in promoting healthy aging constitutes a vital area of interdisciplinary research with far-reaching implications for public health and socio-economic development. Researchers in the tourism literature also focus on older people as a niche market. The purpose of this study is to systematically review the tourism literature related to healthy aging. By comparing theoretical frameworks, research methods, and conceptual and methodological approaches, this article attempts to provide an overview of tourism research on the topic of healthy aging. After a thorough search of the Emerald, Sage, Science Direct (Elsevier), Scopus, Taylor and Francis, Web of Science and databases, 66 articles that met the criteria were selected for the systematic review. The objectives, methods, data sources and conclusions of the content of the selected papers were all examined. The systematic compilation of the research results within the conceptual framework of the articles shows that the tourism sector makes a decisive contribution to the well-being, satisfaction and quality of life of older people. Most of the studies employed qualitative methods and were based on samples drawn from China. The findings suggest that market segmentation strategies tailored to the needs of older adults are more effective when essential characteristics such as health status are taken into account. The article also highlights the importance of encouraging field research on topics not yet covered in healthy aging studies and drawing attention to the tourism industry’s focus on this particular niche market.