The future of tourism belongs to seniors

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The future (of tourism) belongs to
the seniors Challenges of a
fast growing market Dick
L. Knook (Rietfluiter_at_hotmail.com)
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Who are senior tourists ?

• Senior tourists are people of later age (after
  55) who travel for leisure and whose earning and
  family obligations decrease and finally disapear
• A -first- distinction can be made in young-old
  (aged 55-64), old (aged 65-74) and very old (aged
  75 and over)
• Calendar age differs from biological age

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Economic aspects

• The WTO forecasts that earnings from
  international tourism will grow an average of 6-7
  annualy double the growth rate for the world
  economy as a whole
• The coming decades tourism activity will become
  one of the main economic sectors of the world

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• Identify trends and their impacts on tourism
• Most important trend the current and foreseeable
  demographic changes

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Demographic trends

• Spectecular increase in senior population in EU
  and industrialized countries along with decline
  in birth rates
• Zero population growth and even decline in
  population
• Deecline in number of younger people
• The touristic market has to adapt to these
  changes

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Some examples of demographic trends

• Netherlands 45 increase in 50 plus popuation
  within 25 years
• Germany Persons aged 60 year or older
• Increase of 4 mn between 2000 and 2020 In
  2020 28,5 of population
• In same period 11 decline in number of
  children under 15 year
• Worlwide In 2025 the population over 60 will
  double compared with 2000

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Age distribution, The Netherlands 2000
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Age distribution, The Netherlands 2020
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Age distribution, The Netherlands 2040
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The demographic change has already started

• - The present number of seniors (one third of the
  adult population in many European countries, USA,
  Canada, Japan is aged 60-plus) and
• the growning of this proportion
• offers considerable economic incentive for
  tourism marketeers to sharpen their focus on
  older persons

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Older persons are attractive as consumers

• Because
• They have the financial means
• They have time
• They have a better education than in the past
• They belong to a generation which has traveled
• They are relatively healthy and know that
  activities like tourism and recreation contribute
  to a healthy life style

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Senior tourists are diverse

• They differ in
• Age (chronological-biological)
• Health
• Economic status
• Tourism experience
• Cultural background

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• Some well known senior tourists who differ in all
  those aspects

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Senior tourists differ but also have things in
common

• People do not change their travel behaviour
  because they turn 60 or retire
• Travel experience and patterns will have an
  important influence on travel behaviour in the
  last third of life
• The new seniors in 5-15 years (former
  baby-boomers) will be different in travel
  behaviour (e.g. very active) from present seniors

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Future growth rate ?

• Due to zero growth of population no real growth
  in number of tourists
• But trend more money spent per travel
• This explains annual growth rate in international
  tourism

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Conclusions

• The development of senior tourism
• is complex and divers
• requires new and diversified tourism initiatives
  and imaginative marketing, taking into account
  a.o. the economic status, touristic experience
  and cultural background of seniors
• but offers great opportunities for the relatively
  unknown senior market

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New opportunities

• Try to reach seniors with no experience in
  international travels
• Develop special products for seniors ranging from
  cruises (Rhine-Carribean) to cycling tours in
  rural areas.
• Easy and comfortable No sailing ship with beer
  but a motor-boat with white whine.

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More information (in Dutch)

• D.L. Knook et al.
• Senioren Toerisme
• Met succes inspelen op de toeristische en
  recreatieve markt van 50-plussers
• Prijs 95 (incl. 6 BTW)
• Bestellen Rietfluiter_at_hotmail.com