Image from www.aarp.com
By 2020 every second vacationer will be over 50 years of age, according to research into the German market just released by ADAC Reisemonitor and reported here
“With increasing numbers of older vacationers this target group is acquiring growing importance for the travel sector. That is why knowledge about the needs, demands and requirements of these best agers regarding their travel plans are so important for the travel industry.”
According to ADAC holidaymakers in the "best age” are keen to see and experience something new. Tours, as well as cultural and study trips and city tours are very popular. Excursions are another major form of holiday activity. These travellers want to expand their horizons, acquaint themselves with foreign cultures, and increase their knowledge while on holiday.
According to the research that has been carried out by the ADAC, best agers attach particular importance to attractive landscapes, art and culture. Exclusive accommodation is equally vital, and a disproportionately large number of them prefer hotels. The older generation like to travel in their own cars or by air, and are willing to spend substantial amounts on their holidays.
On average best agers spend over 1,800 euros per person on a trip. As people grow older the traditional beach holiday ceases to be so attractive. Instead health and wellness vacations tend to become more popular, as well as destinations in Germany and the Alpine regions. And best agers stay longer: more than 50 per cent book for at least two weeks, and for three weeks in the case of almost 20 per cent of them.
So the evidence is clear, baby boomers will contribute significantly to any growth that tourism experiences over the next few years but will social media be the best way to reach them?
We don't refute Forrester's Research that suggests that some 60% of Americans over 50 are using some form of social media but we urge caution. We've already seen the speed with which this age group adopted email in order to maintain contact with grandchildren etc but their enthusiasm for all forms of social media warrants further investigation. There's no doubt that adults under the age of 50 are transforming the use and popularity of traditional distribution channels but just how far these trends are impacting the 50+ remains to be seen.
The ADAC research in Germany cited above showed that the over-65 generation still relies on brochures (23.1 per cent) but that a slightly larger proportion are using the internet (25.8 per cent) as the basis for its holiday decisions. However, with 35.1 per cent, tour operators’ catalogues still lead the field - in Germany - when travel plans are being made.
Is the Writing on the Wall Fading Though?
While Comscore recently reported that the 55+ age group were the the fastest growth demographic on Facebook in the US , as many as 650,000 people in in this age bracket have apparently dropped off - see David Wilson's blog post here.
Surely it's important to ask why so many Americans have tried and abandoned Facebook and to learn lessons from this exodus?
- Maybe they couldn't read the small type used on most web sites designed by under 20 year olds
- Maybe they began to find the added complexity confusing and time wasting? I have noticed a significant drop in the number of Facebook updates from my peers in recent months and personally find the site's growing complexity to be irritating and confusing.
- Maybe they had better things to do with their time - like meet a friend for personal face to face chat or sit down with a newspaper and take pleasure in reading something they can hold in their hands?
- Maybe they preferred to use an earlier piece of technology - the telephone - that provided so much richer content?
- Or maybe they had simply gone fishing or taken a trip!
Time - and how you spend it - takes on a whole new meaning for persons 55+ no matter how much we like to pretend we are not aging. Wasting it is a cardinal sin. Failure to support this demographic in an appropriate way will leave alot of money on the table.
It's important that the needs of this group are not overlooked by destination marketers in the rush to keep up with the latest technologies and trends.
DestiCorp 2.0 Reference Page: Growth Forces