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.

Goldman Sachs’ new basket of Japanese stocks that will benefit from the Boomer age wave got me thinking about U.S.-based boomer stocks. What companies will benefit most from the potent combination of increased longevity, affluence and the enormous size of the Boomer demographic segment? Top investment analysts have been weighing in on Boomer stock plays; most are focusing on the obvious sectors—financial, healthcare, real estate and travel.

50+Digital will be monitoring market analysis and commentary on stocks that represent age wave plays, and collecting pointers to the best commentary. The most interesting analysis we’ve seen so far comes from Erik Dellith at Reuters, who recently published a list of ten favorite stocks . He started with a list of more than 1,000 companies, and boiled it down to just over 100 using various Reuters filters for quality. The final cut filtered for above average earnings-per-share growth within an industry category for both the trailing 12 months and the past five years. Two of his favorites: Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Nicholas Financial Inc.

Below is a live chart of the Reuters picks so you can keep score:

CNBC wild man Jim Cramer also has some views on boomer stocks. Like Reuters, Cramer likes Goldman Sachs. His picks also include Legg Mason Inc. and T. Rowe Price Group.

The hotel sector should be a strong play, according to a study by the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, supported by rising leisure travel by aging boomers. The study points to full service hotels as a best bet.

50+ Canadians tell pollsters their appetite for adventure travel is growing. The Vancouver Sun quotes a Leger Marketing survey:

“. . .77 per cent of Canadian baby boomers say they’re more adventurous in their travel choices than their parents were. Almost half (44 per cent) say they’re travelling to more exotic destinations than they were a decade ago. And when they arrive, 52 per cent say they’re more likely to engage in activities from scuba diving to zip-lining, instead of just lying on a beach.”

Boomer definitions of adventure travel are quite broad. Volunteer travel (voluntourism), learning trips and eco-tourism fit the category. Savvy travel operators are flocking to provide services; U.S. examples include Road Scholar, iExplore and Learning Destinations.