Towards a cognitive framework for marketing grandtravel: A means-end chain approach

Abstract

Despite the growing market for grandtravel (grandparent–grandchild travel) within the field of senior tourism, research remains limited on the behavior of grandparents who engage in grandtravel across diverse tourist destinations. Adopting a means-end chain (MEC) approach, this study proposes a cognitive framework for grandparents’ grandtravel experiences based on 50 soft laddering interviews. By identifying 14 destination attributes, 10 consequences, and 5 distinct values embedded in grandparents’ grandtravel experiences and elucidating their connections, the analysis provides valuable theoretical insights into grandtravel and destination marketing. Drawing on grandparents’ narratives of their grandtravel experiences, this study highlights the complexity and depth of intergenerational exchanges uniquely fostered by grandtravel, thereby distinguishing it from general senior tourism. Additionally, this research explores the cultural context, revealing how deeply embedded Chinese cultural values significantly shape grandparents’ destination perceptions and choices. These insights not only deepen the scholarly understanding of senior tourism but also offer nuanced, narrative-rich implications for destination managers and marketers seeking to authentically engage senior tourists within intergenerational contexts.