PERMA Model of Well-Being Applied to Portuguese Senior Tourists: A Confirmatory Factor Analysis

Abstract

Tourism has been affirmed as an activity that promotes health and well-being. The present study aims to present a confirmatory analysis of the PERMA model in a sample of Portuguese senior tourists who visited the island of São Miguel (Azores). After approval of the study by the ethics committee (reference 6/2022), a Sociodemographic Questionnaire, PERMA Profiler, and Life Satisfaction Scale—SWLS were applied to 1083 senior tourists (≥55 years) of various nationalities. To evaluate the PERMA model for senior tourism in Portugal, a total of 434 senior tourists of Portuguese nationality were extracted from the sample. The results revealed that most of the participants attributed scores above the midpoint in the five dimensions of PERMA (positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, accomplishment) and in the satisfaction with life scale. Using scale reliability analyses, we found that some of the dimensions in the PERMA model showed relatively low values both for Cronbach alpha and composite reliability. Several confirmatory structural equation models (single factorial, second order, and five factors) were calculated, as well as the usual adjustment measures, with the five-factor PERMA model presenting the best structure, although with a relatively low fit. The modification of the model by the weight of regressions between some of the items with larger covariances allowed a better adjustment: χ2(73) = 264.960, p < 0.001, χ2/df = 3.63, CFI = 0.94, TLI = 0.91, IFI = 0.94; GFI = 0.92, RMSEA = 0.078, p < 0.001. Although the results revealed that the experiences of senior tourists when visiting the island of São Miguel contributed significantly to their well-being and the modified model presented superior adjustment quality, future studies are suggested to evaluate the quality of the PERMA model applied to tourism.

How do European seniors perceive and implement the postulates of sustainable tourism?

“…Huber et al (2018) indicates that the behavior of German senior tourists changes with age. This factor also differentiated the way that PERMA elements were perceived by the Portuguese in tourism as indicated in the research conducted by Mendes et al (2022). Those authors observed no significant differences in the results of their studies conducted among men and women.…”

“…As maximizing motivation and identifying opportunities are essential in identifying and guiding behavior (Loureiro et al, 2022), research efforts must combine motivation, lifestyle, life satisfaction, and demographic indicators, such as gender and level of education (Faranda & Schmidt, 2000;Quan et al, 2022;Streimikiene et al, 2021). A broad range of analysis is proposed by Mendes et al (2022). In their study, they described the relationship between the well-being of senior tourists and the following five measurable elements: Positive Emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment (PERMA).…”

“…In the literature, related methods, i.e. exploratory or confirmatory factor analysis, are often used in ST analyses (Hajra & Aggarwal, 2023;Mendes et al, 2022;Otoo et al, 2020).…”