Trade urged to embrace ‘single older people’
The travel industry must embrace the growing number of single, older people in the UK, according to Professor Richard Scase, author of Global Remix.
He said although the population of the UK will remain pretty stagnant in 20 years time, the number of households will rise from 20.9 million in 2003 to 25.7 million in 2026, mainly in the south of the country.
“This is due to the rise in the number of single person households,” he said. “This year, 29% of new house purchases were by single women.”
He said the singles market is the fastest growth sector, particularly women but also estranged fathers with children and the singles groups markets, for birthdays, weekend breaks and hen and stag parties.
But these people were more likely to be ‘older’ travellers, in the 45-74 age group, he told the Institute of Travel & Tourism conference in Gran Canaria
“The ‘new’ old are young people who happen to have got older,” he said. “The over 50s buy 40% more holidays than the under 30s.
“These people want and need trusted advisors and that will be your role,” he told ITT delegates.
“In your marketing strategies, you should no longer think in terms of age, income, occupation or gender. You should be identifying market clusters and think in terms of individuals, life styles, identities and experience.”
by Bev Fearis
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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