Tourist memory and childhood landscape

Abstract

ABSTRACT Tourist memory serves as an important source of information for future travel plans and forests life development of individuals. Although extensive research has examined the impacts of tourist memory on travel behaviors and tourists’ emotions, very few studies have examined tourist memory from the perspective of childhood landscape. This study adopts the in-depth interview method (n=105) to examine the long-term impacts of childhood tourist memories on adulthood and future development by two different study groups: the new generation and the old generation. Results indicate that tourist memory can enrich individuals’ identity and nostalgia through the childhood landscape. Moreover, the childhood landscape shaped from tourism experiences affects the long-term development processes of tourists’ personalities, parenting, and life attitudes. Study findings conclude that tourist memory and nostalgia can affect an individual’s future decision-making and practice. This study enriches tourist memory and family tourism theories and provides management implications to enhance childhood landscape in tourism marketing.