Korean society is aging very fast with the senior population (those over 65) expected to increase to 11% in 2010. However, although the proportion of elderly people is growing and the market is becoming increasingly significant, senior tourism in Korea has not yet been widely researched relative to the private or public sectors, particularly in rural areas. Hence, this research aims to discover ways to expand social tourism for seniors in rural areas by identifying their characteristics, examining useful relationship among travel factors and suggesting strategies to the public sector in boosting senior tourism. A total of 450 respondents were surveyed, out of which 415 valid samples were used. Based on the results, this study identified three key motivational factors of senior tourists: "visiting new places," "escaping the everyday routine," and "being able to experience new things." Constraints included "financial consideration," "health" and "dietary consideration." Social tourism as serviced by the government was perceived by senior tourists in a negative way as there were expectations of greater financial subsidies in terms of government support for their travel expenses. The implications of social tourism for senior citizens in rural areas are discussed for the development of tourism policy and future research.
Abstract
Ⅰ. Introduction
Ⅱ. Literature Review
Ⅲ. Methodology
Ⅳ. Findings and Discussion
Ⅳ. Conclusions
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