The senior citizen market is one with enormous promise for tourism organizations. This study aims to contribute to the advancement of knowledge in the field of tourism consumer psychology by improving the understanding of the motivation with respect to tourist destinations and related psychological processes (emotions, satisfaction, intentions, and decision-making). A multinational comparative study assesses commonalities and differences across countries in the senior travel market and determines typologies based on travel motivations. Data are obtained from a sample of 460 seniors visiting Lisbon from the UK/Ireland, Spain, France, Germany, Portugal, and non-European countries. The data were analysed using two principal component analyses, two clustering methods (Ward and K-Means), chi-square and Kruskal-Wallis tests. Four clusters emerged—Convivialists, Explorers, Positive Thinkers, Knowledge Seekers—and the perceptions of tourist destinations show five patterns. Several academic and managerial implications are outlined, including the usefulness of the study for different geographical settings.

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senior tourism,Emotions < Health and Well-being,Satisfaction < Leisure,intentions,push and pull motivation factors

• Engenharia Eletrotécnica, Eletrónica e Informática - Engenharia e Tecnologia
• Psicologia - Ciências Sociais
• Economia e Gestão - Ciências Sociais
• Sociologia - Ciências Sociais