Travel firms warned: ignore older travellers at your peril
Travel companies have been urged to wake up to the needs and desires of older travellers, especially as they’re getting older and older.
Debbie Marshall, managing director of Silver Travel Advisor, told delegates at this week’s ABTA Convention to bear in mind that half of the people born today will live to the age of 100.
This, she said, will completely change the dynamics of the travel market.
"There will be more people travelling in their 90s, and larger multi-generational families, perhaps with four generations, travelling together," she said.
"These travellers might not always been in good health, but they still want to travel. I urge you as an industry to look at this very carefully."
Less mobile travellers are often ignored by travel companies, said Marshall, but warned that this is ‘at your peril’.
She said companies such as airbnb are already developing their services with accessibility in mind.
"I absolutely predict that there will be more companies addressing this sector of the market," she added.
Even today, 43% of the UK population is over the age of 50 and hold 60% of travel and tourism spend.
News from The Travel Convention sponsored by Hertz UK
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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