Who are baby boomer travelers? A 2018 Snapshot

Baby boomer travelers aren’t all the same but we share one thing in common: We refuse to be defined by age alone; we follow our passions and interests.

Factors influencing of baby boomer travelers

Our travel plans differ based on a number of personal and situational factors as well as our personalities.

Among them: income and financial wherewithal, time available for travel (e.g., retired or working), caregiving responsibilities (for children and/or aging parents), travel history (been there, done that), travel aspirations (e.g. sense of adventure, curiosity), health status, and activity and energy levels.

A 2017 report from Immersion Interactive collected data that describes noteworthy characteristics of the group as a whole:

• Boomers are between the ages of 51 and 69 (that was last year and, of course, they are getting older each year). In the U.S. alone, there are 74.9 million boomers in that age cohort.

• They control some 70 percent of all disposable income.

• Of boomer households, 63 percent include one individual who is still working.

• Boomers are more tech savvy than you might imagine: 49 percent are tablet users and 40 percent are smartphone users (although these numbers pale in comparison to that of their millennial offspring).

Adding to our understanding of baby boomer travelers, is the most recent AARP travel survey data from the same year:

• Most boomers are expected to take an average of five leisure trips in 2017.

• TripAdvisor, Expedia, Travelocity, Yelp and Google Maps are the most common online planning and booking tools used by boomers.

• Some of the most common barriers to boomer travel are cost, health and security concerns.

• As a group, most boomers prefer travel that allows them time to relax, and spend time with family and friends.

What baby boomer travel trends are predicted in 2018?

Although not broken down by age (perhaps useful because boomers are such a varied lot), findings of the annual 2018 Virtuoso Luxe Report suggest that 2018 travel trends might be summed up as more of the same.

These trends don’t differ significantly from the same trends that have been emerging in recent years and, in our experience, they seem to apply to boomers as well. They include:

• Multigenerational travel
• Active or adventure trips
• River cruising
• Food and wine travel, and
• Celebration travel

Lastly, this same report compiled by the Virtuoso luxury travel network notes that contemporary luxury travelers are foregoing “tourist” experiences preferring interactions with locals and more spontaneous discoveries.

Sounds like us, indeed!

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Learn more about baby boomer travelers from the experts on GettingOnTravel:

• The 45 Best Boomer Travel Blogs to Follow in 2018!

On Luggage and Lipstick:

• Baby Boomer Travel Trends