对度假和自测健康之间关系的理解：一个关于老年旅游的探索性研究【外文翻译】.doc

1、 1 外文翻译 原文 Understanding the relationship between holiday taking and self-assessed health: an exploratory study of senior tourism Material Source:International Journal of Consumer Studies ISSN 1470-6423 2007 Author:Philippa Hunter-Jones and Adele Blackburn Abstract The senior market is particularly

2、attractive to the tourism industry. Alongside evidence of a growing propensity to travel and spend, consumption is often deliberately linked to low seasons, balancing out the peaks and valleys for tourism suppliers. Health is one variable which is particularly signicant to this consumer. Personal he

3、alth inuences all patterns of consumer behaviour regardless of age, although the full extent to which this models senior tourism activity is unclear. An exploratory qualitative study was undertaken in the spring of 2005, with 22 senior consumers (aged 55 years plus) interviewed. Utilizing the earlie

4、r work by Zimmer et al. into self-assessed health as a framework, travel propensity, the perceived effects of travel and factors inhibiting full participation were questioned. Conclusions drawn outline both a senior tourism typology and areas for future research.Notably the relationship between care

5、giving and tourism consumption is singled out for further investigation. Introduction According to Huang and Tsai (2003, p. 561), seniors will soon be one of the largest prospective market segments for the hospitality and travel industries, industries contributing signicantly to the leisure sector.

6、Leisure is a growth sector of many modern developed societies. In the UK alone, it now accounts for a greater proportion of household spending than housing and food (Roberts,2004), makes an important social, cultural and psychological contribution to individuals lives, and provides a means of identi

7、ty in an increasingly services-dominated environment. For the senior market in particular, it has long been recognized (see for instance earlier accounts by Long andWimbush, 1985 and Tokarski, 1991)that leisure consumption offers the basis for a fullling old age and, signicantly, has the potential t

8、o be more stable than in any other age group. When focusing specically upon the tourism 2 industry, the senior market takes on a further signicance. Along-side evidence of a growing propensity to travel and spend (Huang and Tsai, 2003; Reece, 2004), consumption is often deliberately linked to low se

9、asons, lling the peaks and valleys for tourism suppliers (Capella and Greco, 1986).Consciously or subconsciously, health and well-being inuences all patterns of consumer behaviour, albeit to varying degrees. It is likely to be most obvious within the senior market given that generally as people age,

10、 they naturally experience an increase in health-related problems, be it impaired vision and hearing, digestive problems, knee or hip problems for instance.Indeed, according to Age Concern (2004), in 2002, 63% of people aged 6574 years, and 72% of people aged 75 years and over,reported a long-standi

11、ng illness. Yet, as this report shows, beyond a statistical analysis of how conditions differ by age, little is really understood about how individuals may perceive their own health and, indeed, how this perception may model patterns of consumption. The existing academic tourism literature provides

12、a good example of this shortfall. Here there is a tendency to explore health matters only within the context of the travel-related illnesses resulting from holidays, malaria, sexually transmitted infections,accidents and injuries for instance. Travel with pre-existing conditions is seldom considered

13、. The main exception to this, the literature embracing tourism consumption of the disabled community, strongly supports the case for investigating such. Yet, while the psychological and ethical reasons for enabling consumption are considered, it is really the economic benets of attracting this marke

14、t which traditionally have generated most interest. Such a focus has inevitably neglected the main beneciary of the activity,the consumer, and also, as a consequence, has failed to take full account of the relationship between perceived health and tourism participation. The senior market New senior

15、citizens, young sengies (young senior generation),whoopies (well-off older people), retiring baby boomers, generation between and the grey market (Lohmann and Danielsson,2001) are all terms used to describe what is collectively known as the senior market. Within most developed countries, the senior

16、market is growing at an increasing rate (Shoemaker, 1989; Smith and Jenner, 1997; Lohmann and Danielsson, 2001; Age Concern,2004). In the UK, in 2002 there were 19.8 million people aged 50 years and over (National Statistics, 2004), representing a 24% increase over four decades from 16.0 million in

17、1961. This gure is set for a further 37% increase by 2031, when there will be approximately 27 3 million people in this category (National Statistics, 2004). Yet, it is not merely volume which makes this market signicant, but rather as Huang and Tsai (2003) argue, it is the fundamental shift in buye

18、r behaviour patterns which makes this a particularly attractive and lucrative consumer segment. Challenging the stereotypical image of seniors as elderly, weak, poor, isolated and lacking inspiration, these authors make the case that this population, more so than its predecessors, is increasingly li

19、kely to have, and be prepared to spend, incomes and investments upon leisure consumption, rather than saving such for siblings. This shift in mindset is seen by others (e.g. Smith and Jenner,1997) to have facilitated the emergence of an increasingly discerning and sophisticated consumer more prepare

20、d to accumulate travel experiences than ever before. Health and holiday taking Literature documenting the relationship between health and holiday taking in general is fragmented. Drawing together earlier papers, Hunter-Jones (2003) highlights the bias towards detailing the health consequences of tra

21、vel, such as travel-related illnesses,accidents and injuries for instance. In contrast, people travelling with pre-existing conditions are seldom covered. The frequently quoted World Health Organization (WHO, 1948) denition of health as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and

22、not merely the absence of disease or inrmity (p. 100) reminds us of the diversity of conditions, both physical and mental, which can challenge health status. Chronic illnesses, of which Kabak (2004) classies 80 disorders, for example arthritis, diabetes and heart disease, present a particular proble

23、m to the senior market. While most learn to cope with conditions on a day-to-day basis, studies indicate that older people are also more likely than younger adults to experience chronic ill health and (. . .) a change in environment might pose a threat to well-established coping mechanisms (Schoeld,

24、 2000, p. 50). Although this may be true, the WHO (2003) standpoint is that advanced age is not necessarily a contraindication for travel if the general health status is good. Indeed, from a consumer perspective, holidays can provide many benets to somebody with illhealth. Examining the perceived ef

25、fects of holiday taking upon patients treated for cancer, for instance, Hunter-Jones (2003) identied four areas of contribution: personal health (psychological and physical), social effectiveness, personal identity and regaining independence, areas likely also to be a feature of senior tourism. Yet

26、tourism activity, as with any consumer group, is not accessible to all. Barriers to participation have been a feature of many studies. Smiths (1987) review 4 of the leisure of disabled tourists,and Gladwell and Bedinis (2004) study of the leisure patterns of informal caregivers, provide two examples

27、 of general inhibitors, while Fleischer and Pizams (2002) study of the travel constraints of the Israeli senior market provides an age-linked perspective. In this latter study, citing the work of McGuire et al. (1988), ve travel inhibitors are identied, which include: external resources,time factors

28、, approval, social and physical well-being.While these constraints may be subject to budget and time pressures, as age increases, they will be conditioned in part by the tourists individual health: in each case as health status deteriorates, either objectively, as measured by chronic conditions and

29、mobility problems, or subjectively, as measured by self-assessed health, the tendency to travel decreases (Zimmer et al., 1995, p. 6). More contentious though, and challenging much of the accepted thinking, these authors also found that seniors reported a relatively high level of self-assessed healt

30、h status despite experiencing a number of chronic conditions and mobility restrictions. This is corroborated by a more recent study (Mintel 2000) which concluded that while some third-age travellers (aged 45 64 years) consider their health before travelling, many have a live for today attitude where

31、by regardless of health problems, they generally feel well and good about themselves, an optimism both the consumer and industry could do more to capitalize upon. Research methodology Focusing specically upon the role that self-assessed health plays within senior tourism consumption, face-to-face, s

32、emi-structured interviews were conducted over a 3-month period during the spring of 2005. Three research parameters were established. First,the sample population was to consist of those aged 55 years and over, an age range targeted in related research which was instrumental in the development of the

33、 interview schedule (e.g. Zimmer et al., 1995; Fleischer and Pizam, 2002; Huang and Tsai, 2003).Second, the travel was to be specically leisure travel. Third, then window of reection was to be the main holiday taking activity undertaken within the 2 years prior to the interview. Snowball sampling te

34、chniques were applied and 22 informants accessed. No claims are made that this provides representative data, but rather that a number of commonalities are highlighted, which themselves provide a platform for further research. Results and discussion Prole of respondents Table 1 proles each respondent

35、 by age, gender, occupation and main holiday preference. The sample included 10 male and 12 5 female people; the majority retired, with ages ranging from 57 to 81 years. With the exception of only four people, leisure travel was at least an annual activity for the majority of respondents.Consistentw

36、ith general patterns of holiday taking, themost popular forms included organized travel to European destinations, long-haul travel, and visiting friends and relatives. Accommodation With the exception of only one respondent, all acknowledged nding appropriate accommodation deals to be an area of pot

37、ential stress.Mary, a widower, expressed anger at having to pay a single-room supplement, a common complaint among this age category according to Butler (2004). While for Irene, Sylvia and Eileen,respondents with the highest number of mobility restrictions,nding accessible accommodation was the issu

38、e. Each turned to mainstream tour operators when making travel plans. None were able to name any specialist organizations offering support in this area, Holiday Care Service or RADAR (Royal Association for Disability and Rehabilitation) for instance, ndings not unique to this study. Hunter-Jones (20

39、04) uncovered similar problems related to the availability of tourism information for people dealing with cancer. However, further probing revealed other reasons for this pattern. With the exception of only James, all respondents acknowledged SAGA holidays to be a particularly signicant holiday prov

40、ider to the senior market, although none had used the company, often for the reason voiced by Margaret they are supposed to be good but one of the dearest.As only four respondents had actually received brochure information detailing costings, such a comment was primarily perception based. 译文 对度假和自测健

41、康之间关系的理解：一个关于老年旅游的探索性研究 资料来源 :国际消费者研究杂志 ISSN1470-6423 2007 作者：菲莉帕 亨特 琼斯与阿黛尔 布莱克本 摘要： 老年旅游市场对旅游业来说具有特别的吸引力。与旅游和花费的增长倾向趋势相比，老年旅游消费则通常有意与淡季相联系，平衡旅游供给的高峰和低谷。健康对这种消费者来说，是一个特别重要的可变因素。个人健康影响消费者忽视年龄行为的所有模式，虽然对这个老年旅游活动模型还不是完全程度上的清楚。 2005 年春，就开始了一项探测性 定性研究，由 22 位老年消费者（ 55岁以上）受采访。研究利用吉玛等的早期工作成果放入自我评估健康中作为框架，对旅

42、游倾向，旅游感知效果，和抑制完全参与因素提出了质疑。结论概要6 的提出了老年旅游类型和地区未来的研究。显而易见的，看护和旅游消费之间的关系被指出来做进一步的调查。 引言 根据黄，蔡所研究，“老年人将会成为旅游业和酒店业等这些休闲娱乐行业最大潜力市场之一”，休闲娱乐行业是许多现代发达社会的一个成长性领域。单就英国来说，它比住房和饮食在家庭开支中占更大的比重（ 2004 年机器人），对个人生活有着社会、文化 和心理方面的重要作用，在越来越以服务为主的环境中提供了一种区分身份的方式。特别是对于老年人市场，娱乐消费为一个愉快的老年生活提供了基本条件这一事实长久以来已被认可，而且更为突出的是，老年人比其

43、他任何群体具有更为稳定的潜力。若是只着眼于旅游业，那么老年人市场有着更加深远的意义。除了不断增长的旅游和消费倾向，消费还往往与淡季相联系，平衡了旅游业的高峰和低谷。 有意或是潜意识地，健康与福利总是在不同程度上影响着消费者行为的各种模式。这个情况在老年人市场中可能是最明显的，因为随着年龄增长，人们自然而然地经历越来越多 的健康问题，比如说视力和听力障碍、消化问题、膝盖和臀部问题等。的确，根据关注老龄化（ 2004 年）的报道，在 2002 年，63% 65-74 岁的老年人和 72%75 岁和 75 岁以上的老年人都有疾病困扰。然而，几乎没有真正被理解个人怎样感知自己的健康，而且，这个感知怎样

44、塑造消费模式。令人欣喜的是学术旅游文献替补了这一空白，希望消费者充分考虑到认知健康和旅 游参与度之间的关系。 老年人市场 在大多数发达国家中，老年人市场增长的速度越来越快。在英国， 2002年有 1980万人年龄在 50岁及以上，比 1961年的 1600万在 这四十年来增加了 24%。这个数字到 2031年的时候将进一步增长 37，这类人口达到 2700万。然而，并不仅仅是数量使得这一市场显得可观，而是正如黄，蔡所认为的，是由买方行为模式的根本转变使得他们成为一个特别具有吸引力和高获利的消费群体。敢于挑战对老年人年老体弱，贫穷，孤立和缺乏灵感的刻板形象，这部分人口比他们的前辈越来越有可能并准

45、备将收入花费和投资在休闲消费上，而不是为兄弟姐妹储存着。这种心态转变促进了越来越多有眼力和成熟的消费者的出现，他们比以往更愿意积累旅游经历。 健康与度假 目前还没有集中记载健康与度 假之间关系的文献。世界卫生组织将健康定义为生理，心理和社会完全良好的状态，而不仅仅只是没有疾病或身体虚弱，这个频繁被引述的健康定义也提醒了我们，有多种情况会影响我们的健康状况，包括生理和心理。慢性疾病，如关节炎症，糖尿病和心脏病，是现在老年人市7 场面临的一个特殊问题。虽然这可能是事实，世界卫生组织的立场是如果本身健康状况良好的话，旅游对老年人并不一定是禁忌。事实上，外出旅行对有些亚健康的人有很多好处。 然而，旅游

46、活动并不是所有人都可以参与的。参与活动存在着五种阻碍因素，包括外部资源，时间因素，审批，社会和身体 健康。尽管有更多争议，对传统思想更有挑战，这些作者还报告发现，老年人对健康状况有较高的自我评估水平，尽管经历了许多慢性疾病和行动不便的限制。最新的研究也证实了这一点，其结论是一些第三年龄的旅客（年龄在 45-64岁）在尽管旅行前考虑了自己健康，但是许多人持“为今天而活”的态度即不考虑健康问题，他们普遍自我感觉良好，这是一个消费者和行业都可以加以利用的乐观态度。 研究方法论 本文着重研究自我评估健康在老年人旅游消费群体中起的作用。采用面对面，半结构化采访的方式进行 2005年春季为其 3个月的研究

47、。研究建立了三个参数。首先，样本人口由 55岁及以上的人构成。第二，本研究所采访的旅游主要是以休闲为目的的旅游。第三，对照窗口将是在采访前两年之内所进行的主要度假活动。本文应用了雪球抽样技术。我们并未声明本文提供了有代表性的数据，而是突出了很多共性，这本身为进一步研究提供了一个平台 结果与探讨 受访者简介 表 1按年龄，性别，职业和假期主要爱好对受访者做了简要介绍。样本包括10位男性和 12女性，大多数人退休，年龄从 57岁至 81岁不等。除四人例外，其他主要受访者每年至少会有一次休闲旅游。和一般的度假模式一样，最受欢迎的形式 包括有组织地去欧洲旅游，长途旅行和探亲访友。 住宿 受访者均表示能否找到合适的住宿地点对他们来说有很大的潜在压力。由于年龄偏大，腿脚不便，要找到合适的住宿点确实困难。通常此时，他们都会向导游求助，但几乎没有导游能够告诉他们哪个机构能够提供这方面的帮助。更有甚者，只有四个受访者在出发前得到过关注住宿的手册。