Floros, C., Cai, W., McKenna, B. and Ajeeb, D. 2021. Imagine being off-the-grid: Millennials' Perceptions of Digital-Free Travel. Journal of Sustainable Tourism . 29 (5), pp. 751-766. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2019.1675676
| Title | Imagine being off-the-grid: Millennials' Perceptions of Digital-Free Travel |
|---|---|
| Type | Journal article |
| Authors | Floros, C. |
| Cai, W. | |
| McKenna, B. | |
| Ajeeb, D. | |
| Abstract | The blurred boundaries between home and away facilitated by the ubiquitous connectivity have resulted in restlessness in private life, even on holiday. Disconnecting from technology on holiday could potentially contribute to travellers’ psychological sustainability. This article aims to theorise the perceptions of millennials towards digital-free travel (DFT). We interviewed 17 millennials and applied the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) qualitatively to uncover deep insights into their perceptions. Millennials in the research believe that DFT is beneficial for their well-being, but also have concerns regarding social expectations, technology dependence and environmental support. This article firstly contributes towards the psychological sustainability from the perspective of digital well-being in tourism. Second, the qualitative use of UTAUT in a technology disconnection setting is novel. Finally, the study contributes to the empirical understanding of DFT from the aspect of millennials’ perceptions. The study proposes that mental “away” should be aligned with physical “away” by reducing technology use to achieve psychological sustainability on holiday. |
| Keywords | qualitative; UTAUT; millennials; perception; digital-free travel; psychological sustainability |
| Journal | Journal of Sustainable Tourism |
| ISSN | 0966-9582 |
| Year | 2019 |
| Publisher | Taylor & Francis |
| Accepted author manuscript | |
| Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2019.1675676 |
| Web address (URL) | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09669582.2019.1675676 |
| Publication dates | |
| Published online | 10 Oct 2019 |