September doesn’t have to mean the end of vacation season. A Travel Guard survey reports on one group of adventurers that is traveling more in the fall: Married couples age 55+. Dan McGinnity, vice president for Travel 
Guard North America, says “It’s a great time to travel, especially for empty-nesters with more flexible schedules who can take advantage of less crowded destinations.”
And this group isn’t exactly looking to save money as they seek out European destinations (26%) or fall foliage in the Northeast (20%). Nearly 1 in 5 couples spends $5,000 on each trip. Preferred activities include:
- Camping and hiking 45%
- Trips to heighten culinary senses 27%
Empty-nester couples aren’t the only ones doing more traveling. Operators report seeing significant growth in single women over age 50 who want to tour. And a tour makes perfect sense, especially for European destinations where the travelers may not speak the local language. Tour operators say that travelers may want to explore smaller towns and villages, a concept that blends well with the desire to ‘heighten culinary senses.’
Whether a client chooses a standard or more custom/personalized tour, options are available, especially for a demographic that’s clearly interested in fall travel. The right ad campaign could make a huge difference for travel promoters. Contact agents in your market to discuss your ideas.
[Sources: Fall travel gains popularity. TravelGuard.com. 20 Aug. 2010. Web. 7 Sept. 2010; Fox, Jena. Talking With the Pros: New Kinds of Travelers. TravelAgentCentral.com. 27 Aug. 2010. Web. 7 Sept. 2010]
Tuesday, Sep 7, 2010
Kathy Crosett