The meaning of travel: Anecdotes from children

Mimi Li; Yi Wang; Yan Wan; Xiaoting Huang; Yihan Yang

doi:10.1016/j.annals.2023.103664

The meaning of travel: Anecdotes from children

Mimi Li, Yi Wang, Yan Wan, Xiaoting Huang, Yihan Yang

Department of Entrepreneurship, Marketing and Management Systems

Research output: Journal Publication › Article › peer-review

3 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Research on travel experiences involving children has focused on hedonic aspects of family travel, such as family togetherness and fun, based on recalled data. The present study argues that this perspective overlooks children's agency by oversimplifying their understanding of tourism. The research design was informed by a constructivist grounded theory approach. Data were collected from on-site drawing-elicited in-depth interviews with 53 children ages 3–16. Based on semiotic analysis, this study revealed three themes in children's family tourism experiences: casual leisure, identity formation, and casual learning/serious leisure. Children's understanding and meaning making of family tourism evolved with age, demonstrating children's agency in internalizing, appropriating, and reproducing tourism experiences. Practical implications and study limitations are also discussed.

Original language	English
Article number	103664
Journal	Annals of Tourism Research
Volume	103
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2023.103664
Publication status	Published - Nov 2023

Keywords

children's drawings
Meaning of family travel
Onsite travel experience
Semiotic approach

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Business and International Management
Development
Tourism, Leisure and Hospitality Management
Marketing

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10.1016/j.annals.2023.103664

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title = "The meaning of travel: Anecdotes from children",

abstract = "Research on travel experiences involving children has focused on hedonic aspects of family travel, such as family togetherness and fun, based on recalled data. The present study argues that this perspective overlooks children's agency by oversimplifying their understanding of tourism. The research design was informed by a constructivist grounded theory approach. Data were collected from on-site drawing-elicited in-depth interviews with 53 children ages 3–16. Based on semiotic analysis, this study revealed three themes in children's family tourism experiences: casual leisure, identity formation, and casual learning/serious leisure. Children's understanding and meaning making of family tourism evolved with age, demonstrating children's agency in internalizing, appropriating, and reproducing tourism experiences. Practical implications and study limitations are also discussed.",

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AU - Li, Mimi

AU - Wang, Yi

AU - Wan, Yan

AU - Huang, Xiaoting

AU - Yang, Yihan

PY - 2023/11

Y1 - 2023/11

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AB - Research on travel experiences involving children has focused on hedonic aspects of family travel, such as family togetherness and fun, based on recalled data. The present study argues that this perspective overlooks children's agency by oversimplifying their understanding of tourism. The research design was informed by a constructivist grounded theory approach. Data were collected from on-site drawing-elicited in-depth interviews with 53 children ages 3–16. Based on semiotic analysis, this study revealed three themes in children's family tourism experiences: casual leisure, identity formation, and casual learning/serious leisure. Children's understanding and meaning making of family tourism evolved with age, demonstrating children's agency in internalizing, appropriating, and reproducing tourism experiences. Practical implications and study limitations are also discussed.

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KW - Semiotic approach

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DO - 10.1016/j.annals.2023.103664

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JO - Annals of Tourism Research

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The meaning of travel: Anecdotes from children

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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