Boomers drive a huge share of U.S. travel spending–nothing surprising there. But a new survey from Focalyst shows it’s important to avoid stereotypes about 50+ travelers and how spend their money. Several findings caught my eye:

• It’s not always about empty nesters. 50+ travelers with children under the age of 18 are one of the most lucrative 50+ travel segments, the survey finds. Why not? When more people travel together, they spend more.
• The market’s in play. When it comes to airlines, hotels, motels and cruise lines, only 10 percent of survey respondents use the same company all the time. So much for the idea that Boomers are settled in their brand loyalties.
• Forget about organized trips. Boomers “steer clear” of them, Focalyst says. Companies like Elderhostel–which have done with today’s seniors–will have a challenge on their hands.

The survey reinforces something smart marketers already know about the Boomer market: it’s a vast market of 78 million people encompassing people just over 60 to the early 40s. They’re at a variety of lifestages. Treat them as a single target at your peril.

Focalyst is a research company focused on the Boomer market, co-owned by AARP and the Kantar Group.

This entry was posted on Saturday, September 15th, 2007 at 9:24 am and is filed under Travel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.