TRAVEL LIFE-CYCLE

This article surveys changing tourism patterns along three time horizo ns: the last three decades, across the life cycle, and between success ive generations. Based on empirical longitudinal data, the study sugge sts that the patterns and destination choice have changed with respect to all three perspectives. Younger generations gain different experie nces as compared to previous generations and are likely to have differ ent tourism patterns in later life stages. This has important implicat ions for destinations that rely on the elderly market. Using longitudi nal approaches, insights can be gained in changing destination choice across the life cycle and between successive generations, and it can c omplement traditional cross-sectional studies.