Older adults have been recognized as a key tourist segment for cultural tourism. Despite the growing population of older adults, limited research have explored their experiences and needs within digital cultural experiences. Therefore, this research note takes on an exploratory approach in understanding older adults’ perceptions towards digital cultural experiences in the context of two ‘super-aged’ nations: Finland and Japan. The findings illustrate that differences do exist, and that Finnish older adults are found to be more open to technology-use in the context of digital cultural experiences than their Japanese counterparts. Implications for e-tourism research and management are discussed.

Purpose: Sustainable tourism development has been a key strategy for future destination development, yet much of the research predominantly focuses on tourists' needs, often overlooking host community perspectives. Following the “local turn,” this study aims to address this gap by investigating preferable tourism futures in lesser-known and rural destinations from the host's viewpoint. Design/methodology/approach: Using a qualitative approach, a series of Lego Serious Play workshops was conducted in August 2024 in Finland and in May 2024 in Japan with local participants (n = 36) to envision their preferable tourism futures in 2034. Findings: This study highlights the importance of balancing preservation and innovation to achieve sustainable tourism development from the bottom-up. In particular, findings demonstrate the value of engaging local communities in shaping tourism strategies, revealing nuanced preferences across cultures. Finnish participants emphasized gradual improvements, community well-being and accessibility, reflecting European sustainability values. Conversely, Japanese participants prioritized heritage preservation and resilience, shaped by environmental and sociocultural challenges unique to the region. Originality/value: These comparative insights illustrate that community-driven approaches to tourism development can foster sustainable and equitable insights on preferable tourism futures. This study offers practical implications for policymakers and practitioners, emphasizing the need to integrate local perspectives into tourism planning to achieve buy-in through balanced and future-ready outcomes, particularly to enhance the resilience of lesser-known destinations amidst global uncertainties.