Conceptualizing Parents’ Joined Recollected Experiences of Family Travel With Children: Memorability, Storytelling, and Imagination

Abstract

This study highlights the unique nature of family travel, which is often a time-constrained experiences, and aims to investigate how recollected experiences are perceived in family travel by parents. Using a narrative case-based methodology and a storytelling approach, we collected 53 family vacation stories. First, we identified the factors that contribute to memorability in family travel. Notably, family wellbeing and the satisfaction of family members’ desires emerged as unique contributors. Second, we explored the joint perception of the experiences and the impact of family storytelling. Finally, we examined the role of imagination in shaping perceptions of the parents’ experiences. Based on the study’s findings, we propose a conceptual framework of the recollected experiences construct that goes beyond memorability factors, allowing a more nuanced understanding of the recollected experiences with additional dimensions of a joined experiences and imagination.