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Silver Travel Advisor shares with agents the power of the over 50s market

During the Advantage Travel Conference which took place in Miami last week, Debbie Marshall (pictured) from Silver Travel Advisor offered advice on how the industry could better understand the silver market, providing insights on research and trends of the over 50s.

According to the company?s Silver Travel Industry Report 2018, 23.6 million people in the UK are over 50, encompassing 43% of the adult population. The over 65s will increase by 50% in the next 20 years and there will be 500,000 centenarians by 2050. In terms of the digital market, 77% of the over 65s are now online and 40% of over 70s are online, with Facebook dominating and Instagram and WhatsApp starting to develop.

Marshall told delegates that travelling when older depended on four factors ? money, family, health and wealth - and highlighted that the over 50s have 80% of the nation?s wealth and account for 60% of travel and tourism spend, giving agents a great reason to capitalise on this market.

She said: ?The over 50s have a huge desire to travel. They want adventures and expeditions. People in their 60s like to tick off bucket lists and take vow renewals for example. Their holidays are typically more luxurious and of longer durations with a focus on experiences, culture & heritage.

?People in their 70s are looking for as many holidays as possible. They love to cruise, don?t like to fly long-haul and, with big budgets, enjoy being looked after.?

One emerging market that agents should take into consideration is solo travellers. Marshall told delegates that this sector enjoyed self-development and learning holidays, as well as singles group holidays, therapy and holistic holidays, with some looking for love.

Other trends included multi-generational families who were looking to celebrate big holidays, big birthdays and big celebrations, with unique experiences, private tours and cruises. Plus disabled and accessible holidays, particularly cruising, where people are seeking gentle and safe holidays or care assisted holidays are also on the rise.

Marshall offered her top tips for brochure and website design when appealing to silver travellers. They included: Use nothing less than a size 12 font; a site that is clear and easy to navigate; avoid colour combinations which are hard to distinguish; present facts clearly and give plenty of detail; take care with style, spelling and especially grammar; and use interesting photos of real older people, not airbrushed models.

Tips for communicating with older travellers included: employ older people in your sales team who empathise; speak slowly and listen ? processing time is slower; consider memory loss ? repeat information; use a positive and honest tone of voice; social media ? make it relevant and appropriate; and never patronise. 



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