Family tourism: Interpersonal interaction, existential authenticity and quality of tourist experience

The functional value experience of family tourism has often been paid attention both by tourists themselves and the tourism industry, but the individual value experience of parents in family tourism has been neglected. Family tourism shifts the scenario of interpersonal interaction between families from home, the conventional environment, to a non-conventional one. This change in the interactive situation will inevitably bring about changes in interpersonal interaction behavior and individual perception, especially to tourists who take on the role of parents in a nuclear family. This study enriches the examination of the family tourism experience by exploring the interpersonal interaction, existential authenticity travel experiences, and quality of tourist experience perceived by parents in family tourism. The main findings are: 1) In the non-conventional environment of tourism, effective interaction between tourists and their families helps to improve tourists’ emotional experience and satisfaction; 2) Three aspects of existential authenticity are the internal causes of the impact of interpersonal interaction on emotional experience and satisfaction; 3) Differences in parental roles make important discrepancies between men and women’s perception of family tourism experiences. This study provides insights to understanding the family tourism market and brings valuable findings to the area of family tourism marketing and management.