Digital engagement and active aging: how tourism social media supports older adults

Purpose In response to WHO’s call for active aging, this study aims to explore how tourism social media engagement contributes to well-being among older adults, via enhancing perceived social support and social value, as well as alleviating loneliness. Design/methodology/approach The study adopted a quantitative approach, and collected data through a questionnaire survey (N = 342). Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to analyze the data. Findings The study revealed that tourism social media usage was positively related to active aging, mediated by perceived social support and social value. The results also showed a positive role of tourism social media in reducing loneliness, which in turn promotes the seniors’ well-being. Research limitations/implications This study bridges the theoretical gap between tourism social media and active aging. It reveals how these platforms foster social support and social value, enhancing social participation and well-being among older adults, with notable gender differences. It provides practical implications for the practitioners to improve senior-friendly digital experiences and develop targeted marketing strategies. Practical implications This study provides practical implications for practitioners to improve senior-friendly digital experiences and develop targeted marketing strategies. Tourism industry can promote older adults’ active aging by encouraging tourism social media usage. Originality/value This study is among the first to bridge the seniors’ tourism social media behavior under the conceptual framework of active aging and develops a framework to test the relationship between seniors’ tourism social media usage and their well-being, and its underlying mechanism.