People say “Life begins at 50.” It is, in fact, a good time to start catching up on what you may have missed during your first half-century number of years in the planet; travel included. Despite the great benefits and value of travel, and the availability of cheaper travel packages, it is something that’s beyond many regular folks. Thus, once retirement comes and hopefully a reasonable pension or savings, many seniors find it the best time to continue fulfilling the bucket list they may have drawn years and years ago.
What’s interesting (even amusing) is the fact that many of them don’t even enjoy traveling alone without their throng of now adult children and their children’s children. In the article by Kerri Fivecoat-Campbell published in Mainstreet –Retirement Section entitled “2015 Travel Trends for Mature Adults Over 50 Include More Multi-Generational Travel,” she shared the 2015 travel trend for seniors supported by some statistics from a recent survey conducted by American Association of Retired Persons or AARP.
“… according to a recent study by AARP, which looked at travel trends for 2015 and found that 33% of the Baby Boomers surveyed planned on taking a multi-generational trip with family in the coming year.
Multi-generational trips aren’t a new idea; many families have planned and enjoyed multi-generational trips for decades, but trends show that more people might be taking them. AARP says this trend is expected to grow as Gen X-ers start turning 50 next year.”
There were other statistics and information from AARP that Fivecoat-Campbell shared, such as:
“There were a few surprising results in the survey, according to Stephanie Miles, vice president of member value at AARP, including the fact that 45% of respondents said they plan on taking an international trip in the coming year…”
“… This was the first year for the AARP study, which surveyed 1,137 adults over 50 from every demographic. The results also showed that a whopping 98.7% of those surveyed planned on taking some sort of a domestic trip in the coming year. The main reasons for travel included getting away from everyday life, spending time with family and friends and getting away to relax and rejuvenate…”
With the trends forecasted for the baby boomers, it would be interesting to take a look at some destinations that would be perfect for multi-generational travels. In the article, the author mentioned some destinations:
- It was a Mexican Resort for Marcia Miller and her family, same place she had multi-generational trips with her parents and kids. It was a good way to share her life with her own family now.
- Lauren Goldberg and her extended family of 17 members ranging from 16 to 83 went to a classic destination … Martha’s Vineyard. It is a great way for the elders to share their life and to make the young ones realize that it can be fun to spend time with one’s family.
- Vera Gibson with her husband, children and grandchildren has gone to the Big Island (Hawaii) to spend wonderful, quality time together. The beaches and the tropical allure will never fail to make a family happy together despite the broad age range.
- Megan Belt travels the world each year with a horde of family, relatives and friends. They booked villas and big houses to get them all accommodated and have great bonding moments.
- Kate Monihan decided to plan a vacation to Switzerland and France where her aging father was once stationed during WWII. The trip made his father complete the book he was writing about his war experiences. The party consisted of 12 ranging in age from 28 to 90. It was another nostalgic way to share life experiences and life lessons.
To know where to go or what to do so that everyone will enjoy, check out family travel ideas and holidays from cruising to visiting theme parks. Learn about multi-generational travel tips, such as planning together, so everyone will have fun, great experiences and memories of the days spent together.
If you are in the travel industry, this is a trend you can’t ignore. It would be lucrative to steer your business to accommodate the travel needs of this sector. You need to be resourceful and creative to meet their needs and desire to travel with their families – spouse, children, grandchildren, other relatives, friends, and maybe even caregivers and help.
If you’re a baby boomer and planning to travel this year, think multi-generation (chances are, you’ll be happier with your family in tow). If the industry would heed this trend, you’ll have great options and discounts from plane tickets to accommodations.
