Ageing, volunteering and tourism: An Asian perspective

Katherine Dashper, ShiNa Li, Mang He, Puyue Zhang and Ting Lyu

Annals of Tourism Research, 2021, vol. 89, issue C

Abstract: As global populations age, there is need to deepen understanding about old people as both hosts and tourists. This paper draws on critical gerontology to examine the experiences of elderly volunteers at tourism sites in China. Through exploratory interviews with volunteers, we identify the importance of cultural context for understanding the experiences of old people as volunteers and hosts. We argue that Chinese philosophical traditions, combined with eastern collectivist values, shape old people's experiences of involvement in tourism volunteering. This study illustrates the value of critical gerontology for questioning the role tourism plays in both challenging and reinforcing normative ideas about ageing and being old, and the importance of cultural context for understanding elderly people's experiences of tourism.

Keywords: Ageing; China; Critical gerontology; Volunteering (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:anture:v:89:y:2021:i:c:s0160738321001262

DOI: 10.1016/j.annals.2021.103248

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