Silver travel: virtual tourism with GenAI avatars boosts well-being for older adults

Older adults often want to travel but face physical, mobility, and psychological barriers that make it difficult. Could virtual travel guided by GenAI-enabled avatars offer a meaningful alternative, or even a stepping stone back to real-world tourism? This study examines whether immersive virtual travel experiences can satisfy older adults' deeper psychological needs and translate into greater well-being and travel confidence.

How the research was done

The research recruited 559 older adults aged 60 and over from across the United States, with diverse backgrounds in income, education, and travel experience. Each participant tried a virtual travel experience guided by an avatar, delivered via a regular computer screen rather than a VR headset to avoid the dizziness and anxiety common in older users with wearable devices. Participants then completed a structured survey, and the data was analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling.

What the research found

Virtual travel guided by GenAI avatars meaningfully satisfied participants' psychological needs for relatedness, autonomy, and competence. Among the four experience dimensions, aesthetics and education stood out as the most influential, followed by escapism and entertainment. This satisfaction translated into significantly higher well-being, which in turn increased participants' confidence in their ability to travel. Greater confidence then drove higher intention to take real-world trips. Interestingly, well-being did not translate directly into travel intention; the path runs through travel confidence, suggesting confidence is the crucial bridge.

Insights for the industry

Tourism operators can use GenAI-guided virtual travel as a gateway product, not just a standalone offering. Personalized destination recommendations at the end of a virtual tour can convert virtual experiences into real bookings, giving operators a low-friction pre-purchase touchpoint. Technology developers should prioritize easy navigation, high-quality graphics, real-time rendering, and personalization, and should default to monoscopic VR (display screens) rather than headsets for older audiences to minimise discomfort. Policymakers can support virtual travel programs in community centres and healthcare settings to extend the benefits beyond those who can afford them. Healthcare providers can integrate virtual travel into therapeutic and recreational programmes for cognitive stimulation, reminiscence therapy, and social interaction. The senior tourism market is large and growing, and virtual travel offers a practical way to make it more accessible.