Positive psychology and tourist well-being: reflections through a developmental lens

The well-being of global populations has become a significant concern, with the United Nations calling for immediate action through Sustainable Development Goal #3 to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for people of all ages. Tourism, in combination with positive psychology, has inspired a compelling avenue to promote human well-being. While research on positive psychology in tourism is expanding, understanding the psychological mechanisms underlying well-being throughout different life stages of tourists remains underexplored. Consequently, this chapter draws on empirical research focusing on senior tourists and then juxtaposes empirical findings with insights from existing research on children and working-age individuals, aiming to highlight the importance of adopting a developmental perspective in examining tourists’ well-being. Incorporating empirical findings and three key theories from tourism and positive psychology, a conceptual framework is proposed to advocate further studies to consider the evolving motivations and psychological needs of tourists in diverse stages of life in the conceptualization of well-being in tourism.