Couple Vacations: Linking Joint Vacation Experiences of Romantic Couples to Satisfaction with Relationship Life

Abstract

The Refined Core and Balance Model of Family Leisure Functioning was used to guide our study of the link between vacation experiences of romantic couples and satisfaction with their relationship life. Results revealed that romantic couples who had more shared or joint experiences during their vacations in the previous year reported higher levels of satisfaction with their relationship life at the end of the year. This association was mediated by relationship functioning (i.e., couple cohesion and flexibility). The number of vacations was not a significant predictor of romantic couples’ satisfaction with relationship life; what mattered most was the extent to which partners were engaged in joint experiences during their vacations such as having fun together, mindful conversations, physical intimacy, and trying new things together. These findings demonstrate the need to continue to study less frequent, extraordinary leisure vacation experiences that may help maintain the love within romantic relationships. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Keywords:

• joint experiences
• family leisure
• relationship
• romantic couples
• vacation
• core and balance model

Acknowledgement

Many thanks to John Dattilo, Carter Hunt, and the Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence, particularly Chas Brua, for their support of this research.

Disclosure statement

The authors report there are no competing interests to declare.

Correction statement

This article has been corrected with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.