PRESSRELEASE: New travel trends for 50plus

What’s new in the travel segment 50plus? Using several different and new survey methods, concepts and sources the international consulting firm Kairos Future identified the following major trends within the 50plus segment in Europe, picturing changes between generations and during life.

From homogenous group to heterogeneous individuals
It has been said before but is emphasized here again. The 50plus travelers are no more a homogenous crowd. Some researchers speak about a segmentation of the market, others even about a “fragmentization”. As consumers are behaving as unpredictable multi-optional shoppers, making it more difficult to keep track of their needs and wishes, the need for alternative survey methods increases. Kairos Future uses both quantitative and qualitative methods to understand and explain the (future) behavior of the 50 plus generations.

From Homebody to Globetrotter
If previous seniors were the self-evident target group for domestic holidays, this picture has changed. The 50plus generations love to talk about all their trips in the past, to the USA, to Thailand, to South America and all over Europe. Their present travel plans do include weekend trips to nearby holiday areas, but also several long-haul trips. They are the present engine behind growth as can be seen in the German survey Reiseanalyse by F.U.R (see diagram on next page).

From Travel Agent’s Darling to experienced Silver Surfer
In many European markets the mature travelers are now using the internet as their main information and booking channel (see diagram on next page). As younger generations (with even more internet experience) grow older, the internet seems to become a very dominant information source all over Europe within just a couple of years. However a qualitative survey now being carried out at Kairos Future, with the aim to better understand the process of information-gathering and booking of holiday trips of the very internet experienced populations in Scandinavia, indicates that 50plus generations still like to confirm what they learned on web-sites through other sources.

From Dreamers with money worries to In-Real-Life Spenders
From the same qualitative study we learn more about the dreams and worries of different generations. The young people in our sample tell us a lot about where they would like to go. If they had money. If the kids would not insist on going to the same place as last year. If they had time… If their husband could be persuaded… The 50plus travelers tell different stories. They have less money worries and less time pressure. They have probably adjusted to one another as partners. They make more realistic plans, compromises are a natural part of life.

From Super(wo)men to Realistic Planners
The younger generations may have concerns when it comes to money but they don’t seem to spend a thought on other possible restrictions or barriers. The older ones are more concerned about their health. They consider the possibility that the trip might not take place if they get ill. This seems to influence their travel booking behavior to later bookings than they would otherwise prefer. They appreciate concepts that are flexible for short-term changes due to health problems.
 
Sources:
Kairos Future International/Visit Sweden (2007): European Travel Trend Report.

Contact Johanna Danielsson for more information.
Kairos Future International (2007): Scandinavian Travel Trend Survey (unpublished results). Contact Johanna Danielsson for more information.
F.U.R (2007): German Travel Analysis Reiseanalyse RA 2007 (first results). Visit www.fur.de for more information.

The speaker: Johanna Danielsson is director for the business area Travel&Tourism at Kairos Future International. Her competence is based on many years of research- and consulting experience for the tourism industry, both in the role as a self-employed consultant and as project manager/deputy director for the tourism research institute N.I.T. in Kiel, Germany. Practical working experiences from the tourism industry (e.g. incentive agency) nourished her interest in combining knowledge about scientific working methods with understanding of industry needs and reality.
Co-writer Malin Bohn is a student at the University of Applied Sciences in Bremen and is at present performing an internship at the head office of Kairos Future International in Stockholm. Ms. Bohn is among other things involved in the collection of material and evaluation of results of the qualitative survey of the Scandinavian Travel Trend Survey.
 

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