Seniors' travel constraints: Stepwise logistic regression analysis

The purpose of this article is twofold: (1) to identify the factors that are perceived as constraints to leisure travel for seniors compared to other age groups, and (2) to investigate whether the constraints based on age interact with other sociodemographic variables for past travel behavior and intention to visit in the future. The data for this study were collected from a sample drawn from travel magazine subscribers and those who requested travel information. Two mail surveys and a Web survey yielded a total of 1,405 completed responses. Analysis was conducted using chi-square tests and logistic regression. Analysis indicated that younger age groups (59 years old or younger) were more likely to be constrained by time and money, whereas seniors (75 years and older) were constrained by health issues. Logistic regression analysis showed that the role of age and income as constraint was perceived differently for the past and future intension to visit. For the future visit, age was perceived as a constraining factor, whereas for the past visit, the role of age was moderated by income. This confirms that leisure travel constraints are not homogenous. The study suggests that the travel industry and organizations that provide services to seniors need to facilitate leisure travel opportunities by increasing affordability and making them accessible to those with declining health.