Ageism in the Travel Industry

 

Adriane G. Berg of Ageless Travelers recently presented a webinar to the members of the International Federation on Aging titled, “Ageism in Tourism.” It was not only informative, but it brought to mind the issues I experienced on a recent two-week trip to Southern California. Before reading the rest of this article, please review this site which provides an overview of what she does. https://ifa.ngo/team/adriane-berg/

She is a veteran radio and TV host, an Emmy winner, and seasoned traveler. Adriane is on a quest to encourage older adults to travel and to reduce ageism in the tourist industry. https://nabbw.com/shows/the-ageless-traveler/introducing-the-ageless-traveler/

Over the next ten years, it is estimated that people over 60 will take 1.6 trillion trips and the majority of them are women. Older travelers are healthier mentally and physically, yet the hospitality industry perceives us as helpless. She noted, “We are their bread and butter.” Tourism is staffed by young people, as it is seasonal and often short-term, and they do not understand older adults. We are stereotyped as frail and that impacts the guest experience. Seniors account for a large chunk of travel dollars, as demonstrated below. I have excerpted some facts from the following website: Senior Travel and Tourism Statistics in 2024 │The Senior List

Senior Travel and Tourism Statistics: The Big Picture 

·       Adults aged 60 and above accounted for nearly 37 percent of travelers in 2023, up from 16.45 percent in 2020 – 2021, but not back to pre-pandemic levels (46.3 percent).

·       In 2023, 62 percent of adults aged 50 and over have taken or plan to take a leisure trip.

·       Nearly half of seniors (48 percent) report a desire to return to normal leisure travel in 2024, compared to just 8 percent in 2023.

·       52 percent of seniors aged 50+ rank travel and vacation as their number one priority for discretionary income.

·       Seniors currently average 27 travel days per year, compared to 35 for millennials.

On the webinar, Berg addressed design issues. The hospitality industry has embraced technology, but it is not older adult friendly and business attitudes have marginalized us. Universal design, which means seamless design, is necessary for reducing ageism. She noted that hotel room shelves are often out of reach and forget about reading the shampoo, conditioner, and shower gel bottles! This was a recent frustration for me in my hotels in California: I could not read them without my glasses, but I do not wear glasses while showering!

In the United States, tourism has embraced the idea of senior discounts and “that’s kinda enough.” It is this type of practice that further marginalizes us. Berg pointed out that some underserved nations WANT older travelers, and they have departments of tourism to promote older adults as tourists. These countries are Cambodia, Zambia, Singapore, and Thailand.