Comparing older and younger adults' valuation of friendly destination attributes: a mixed-method empirical study

Purpose The friendliness of a destination is a key factor influencing tourists' destination selection. However, few studies have explored the construct of friendly tourism destinations. The purpose of this study was to establish a typological framework of friendly tourism destinations and compare older and younger adults' valuations of friendly destination attributes. Design/methodology/approach A mixed-method approach was used; in-depth interviews were conducted with 18 tourism stakeholders. Content analysis of the collected data was performed to construct a friendly tourism destination framework. Findings The framework consisted of 37 categories, which were classified into six themes: transportation and infrastructure, friendly tourism environments, government policies and tourism promotion measures, tourism products and activities, tourism information services and friendly residents. Furthermore, survey data from 1,153 respondents in Taiwan revealed that older adults valued friendly tourism environments and friendly residents more highly than younger adults did. Research limitations/implications The participants were all from Taiwan; therefore, the results might not be applicable to tourists in other countries or regions. Furthermore, this study only compared the valuations of older and younger adults for the attributes of friendly tourism destinations. Practical implications Friendly tourism destination categories can provide a reference for tourists when making travel decisions. The framework provides destination marketers with a new tool for managing friendly tourism destinations. The findings can act as a reference for travel suppliers seeking to improve tourism-friendly services. Originality/value This study introduced a multifaceted framework for developing friendly tourism destinations from a holistic perspective. The results contribute to the tourism literature, revealing that younger and older adults have different valuations for the attributes of friendly tourism destinations.