From digital fear to digital freedom: digital barriers, psychological need satisfaction, and AI adoption and continuance in senior tourism
Ana Leal‐Solís, Rafael Robina Ramírez, Jesús Barrena Martínez · Current Issues in Tourism · 2026
This study explores how senior tourists overcome digital barriers to adopt and continue using artificial intelligence (AI) in tourism, drawing on Self–Determination Theory (SDT). Based on survey data from 487 Spanish tourists aged 60–74, a structural model was tested linking perceived digital barriers to AI adoption and propensity to use through autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Using PLS–SEM and multigroup analysis, results show that higher barriers reduce autonomy and competence, which subsequently drive AI adoption. Adoption strongly predicts propensity to use across groups. Seniors with high perceived barriers depend more on motivational mediation, whereas low–barrier seniors adopt AI more directly. Overall, the findings position AI as a motivational interface shaped by psychological need satisfaction in later life.