The seniors’ travel market
According to Cai and Knutsen (2001) in their editorial to a special edition of the Journal of Hospitality and Leisure Marketing, 8(3/4), devoted to seniors’ travel, the following statistics give an insight into the potential of the seniors’ travel market at this time.
- By 2050 the number of international travellers over 60 years of age is predicted to reach 2 billion.
- Some 30 per cent of outbound French travellers are over 60 years; 27 per cent of the US outbound market; 20 per cent of the German outbound market; 27 per cent of Canadian travellers are over 55 years as are 28 per cent of the Japanese market. In Australia the over 65 group will increase from 12 per cent of the population to 24 per cent by 2050.
- The over 65 age group in Japan will double from 15 to 30 per cent by 2050. In EU member countries the increase is expected to be from 16 per cent to 28 per cent.
- By 2030 there will be 70 million Americans over the age of 65.
Australians enjoy one of the highest life expectancies in the world – 82 years for women and 77 years for men and studies indicate that this is steadily increasing. Females rate third in the world while males rate sixth. The World Health Organization (WHO) proposes ‘healthy life expectancy’ (HALE) as a measure of the expected number of years to be lived without reduced functioning.
The Commonwealth, State and Territory Strategy on Healthy Ageing (Healthy Aging Task Force 2000 cited AH, 2002, 188), puts the improved health and wellbeing of older Australians as a major goal. As of 30 June 2012, 3.2 million Australians were aged 65 and over (or 14% of the population).
According to the Australian Government Productivity Commission (2013), the population aged 75 or more years is expected to rise by 4 million from 2012 to 2060, and increase from about 6.4 to 14.4 per cent of the population.
Declining mortality rates and increased life expectancy have led to an extended period of life which is spent in old age, and greater acknowledgement of the many different activities, opportunities and contributions which can characterise this phase of the life cycle (AH 2002, p. 188). Broader social factors contributing to good health in old age include:
- a lifetime of higher education
- higher labour force participation
- higher income
- strong support systems
- sound social environments
- good medical care
- good superannuation entitlements.
Another indication of the healthy state of Australia’s aging population is the high percentage of people over 65 with no severe activity restrictions with 84 per cent of men and 75 per cent of women having virtually no restrictions. The percentages do fall over the age of 80–37 per cent and 51 per cent respectively. In the US, 63 per cent of those between 65 and 74 years claim no restrictions on their daily activities (Leitner 1999). However, there is a steady growth in the over 85 population in most developed nations and this market has special needs.
Older people with a disability or with a partner with a disability also have special needs when they embark on journey. Leitner proposes that if services and assistance were available then the market would be more readily accessed. He proposes:
- special attendants at airports, particularly in toilets
- short-term nursing homes and day care facilities at major resorts and hotels
- special sightseeing excursions designed to meet their needs
- private assistance at resorts to help with dressing, dining and other requirements
establishment of retirement community vacation exchange networks.
