The role of curiosity in travellers’ transformation

Curiosity drives how travellers engage with unfamiliar places, yet little is known about how it shapes transformation. This study examines how trait curiosity influences transformative travel outcomes, whether reflection mediates this relationship, and how age shapes the pathways to transformation. Using a mixed-methods design, 25 interviews and a survey of 1657 Australian travellers were analysed. Qualitative analysis uncovered a cyclical pattern termed the “curiosity-transformation loop”, wherein curiosity triggers engagement with novelty, transformation deepens curiosity, and this cycle compounds over time. Quantitative findings confirm that reflection partially mediates the link between curiosity and transformation. Age, however, alters the pathway. Older travellers translate curiosity into transformation directly. Younger travellers depend more on reflective processing. These results challenge linear transformation models and the assumption that declining curiosity limits older travellers’ transformative potential. Practitioners should design age-differentiated experiences, emphasising structured reflection for younger travellers and depth of engagement for older travellers.