Understanding attitudes towards leisure travel and the constraints faced by senior Koreans

The senior segment of the Korean population is rapidly becoming an attractive target market for leisure destinations due to its increasing rate of growth and the level of income available. While this is a potentially attractive segment for the tourism industry, the impact of traditional Confucian philosophy represents a constraint which may deter senior Koreans from travelling for leisure purposes. Through a self-completion survey of 200 Korean residents over the age of 60 years, conducted in 2002, this paper explores the attitudes of this market towards leisure travel. The constraints which may restrict the travel propensity of senior Koreans and the types of travel experiences they demand are revealed.