Honor flight: Recognition of preeminent-mature tourists

The “oldest old” (aged 85+), here coined as the “preeminent-mature,” have been largely ignored by tourism scholars based on medical and access barriers. The research described herein was conducted to help close the gap in understanding this unique segment of tourists. Using participant-observation techniques, researchers joined two “Honor Flight” bus tours, comprised primarily of World War II veterans and their attendants, in order to detail the experiences of preeminent-mature tourists and highlight considerations for service provision and the creation of memorable experiences. Five themes were supported: nostalgia reenactment, relationship development/socializing, identity renegotiation, constraints removal, and comfort reassurance. The findings extend previous service excellence research by considering the distinctive needs of preeminent-mature tourists.