Can you travel too much? The emotional numbness effect of travel frequency
Publication Date
10-1-2025
Document Type
Article
Publication Title
Tourism Management
Volume
110
DOI
10.1016/j.tourman.2025.105190
Abstract
Based on hedonic adaptation theory, this research explores how travel frequency impacts emotional numbness. Across one pilot study and five studies using secondary data and experimental data, we find travel frequency has an inverted U-shaped effect on emotional intensity. That is tourists’ emotional intensity at first rises and then falls as travel frequency increases. It introduces tourist expertise as a measurable resource and demonstrates that it plays a mediating role in this effect. Furthermore, mystery can moderate these effects. Specifically, high mystery can alleviate emotional numbness caused by excessive travel frequency. These new findings offer valuable insights for tourism professionals aiming to create effective service strategies that improve tourist emotions.
Keywords
Emotional numbness, Hedonic adaptation theory, Tourist expertise, Travel frequency
Department
Hospitality, Tourism, and Event Management
Recommended Citation
Lujun Su, Liqin Gong, and Yinghua Huang. "Can you travel too much? The emotional numbness effect of travel frequency" Tourism Management (2025). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2025.105190
