摘要：The proportion of people aged over 60 years is growing faster than any other age group because of both longer life expectancy and declining fertility rates. However, research has rarely considered the associations between pilgrimage tourism, companionship with friends, neighbours and family, and ageing persons’ psychological health. This article proposes meaningful strategies, based on a survey of 690 valid responses from a group of elderly pilgrimage-tourists. In contrast to the previous related works, emphasis is placed on the importance of the spiritual function in the general pattern of pilgrimage tour. The case of this study findings determined that the enjoyment factor is almost equal to spirituality. In addition, the results revealed that the respondents desired accessible facilities and attentive services. The results of this empirical study will inform the travel industry and local tourism sector.
