Digital divide and senior travel consumption: an empirical study from China

Abstract

ABSTRACT The digital divide in tourism consumption deserves attention. Based on the data from China Family Panel Studies in 2018, we built a Tobit model to explore the impact of the digital divide on elderly tourism consumption. It is found that the elders with low digital access and usage tend to spend lower on tourism. Further research finds that transaction barriers are an important channel for the impact of the digital divide on elderly tourism consumption. The inhibiting effect of the digital divide on senior travel consumption can be reduced when seniors receive more social support from spouses, children, and friends.