In advertising and marketing to the 50+ audiences, we believe there are two groups of marketers – the ‘get its’ and the ‘forget its’.
Interestingly, travel and tourism marketing has a combination of these and we are noticing more marketers ‘getting it’ thanks to Boomers financial influence. With their increased appetite for travel, marketers are looking to include them in their advertising plans.
Australians of all ages have an enormous thirst for travel and it’s part of our DNA – must be something to do with being born at the bottom of the world. Australian Bureau of Statistics Household Expenditure data shows that Boomers and Seniors are travelling more than ever before. Seniors are travelling domestically with more frequency. Many tell us that along with ‘pure pleasure’ travel, visiting grandchildren has become the norm rather than to expect a visit. This made possible by the advent of cheaper airline fares.
2019 Senior travel facts
- 20% like to go away on weekends
- 69% prefer to holiday in a natural setting or can see nature
- 63% like to take holidays away from crowds
- 40% like to do as little as possible on holidays
- 69% like to take holidays within Australia
- 29% enjoy holidays where everything is organised for you
Tactical marketing aimed at Boomers that we have seen work well for clients include the following ideas:
Significant birthdays
Boomers seem more interested to celebrate in style and have a ‘destination-based event’ – marketing to your database a year out from a milestone birthday plants the seed of an event and time to gather friends for the trip. One of our clients recently promoted ‘paying for the event meal’ in return for booking a tour for 12.
Behind the scenes experience
Boomers are very interested in experiencing something they cannot arrange themselves. They are comfortable doing their research and booking on line, but travel marketers need to provide exclusive experiences that Boomers can organise themselves. Here is a great example.
Our theory is that the travel market has been the most significant driver for online acceptance of both Boomers and Seniors, especially as they are comfortable with booking online and, in fact, believe they will miss out if they do not. Offering live chat with minimal entry barriers is an excellent way to engage and build rapport.
