Exploratory Study of Travel‐Eligible Individuals With Early‐Stage Dementia: Applying the Hopelessness Theory of Depression

The intersection between tourism and health for vulnerable populations has become a growing focus of interdisciplinary research. This study investigates perceptions of tourism among travel‐eligible individuals with early‐stage dementia (aged 55–75 years), aiming to understand how tourism affects their daily lives, mental health, and travel behavior. Qualitative interviews with 31 participants revealed five themes: (1) early‐stage dementia symptoms and their negative effects on daily life; (2) dementia‐induced negative life experiences and depression development; (3) a dementia‐induced sense of hopelessness; (4) dementia‐induced depression symptoms (nondiagnosed); and (5) lack of travel intention. The hopelessness theory of depression underpins this study, illustrating how negative life events due to dementia lead to depressive symptoms and a lack of future behavioral intention. The findings provide theoretical implications for facilitating tourism for people with health conditions and for expanding this topic beyond the conceptual level. Practically, this research offers insights into developing dementia‐friendly tourism destinations.