From Experience to Memory: Emotional Pathways in Skip-Gen Travel

Skip-gen travel, in which grandparents travel with grandchildren without parents, has received increasing attention, yet how such experiences are emotionally interpreted and remembered in later life remains underexplored. This study examines relationships among experiential characteristics, emotions, memory, and post-travel outcomes, drawing on memorable tourism experience research and psychological perspectives on emotion and memory. Using survey data from 790 Chinese grandparents and follow-up interviews with 57 participants, the findings show that rewarding experiential characteristics are associated with positive emotions, whereas stress and fatigue are associated with negative emotions. Positive emotions are positively associated with memory, while negative emotions show a negative association. Memory is associated with well-being, emotional closeness, and behavioral intentions. These relationships are stronger among non-co-residing grandparents, with qualitative findings highlighting variation in relational context within both groups. The findings suggest designing meaningful intergenerational activities, reducing strain for older travelers, and considering family context in skip-gen travel offerings.