engleski

Understanding the senior travel market: a review

Due to the rapid demographic aging of the population worldwide, senior travellers (55 years and over) have become an important market segment for the travel and tourism industry. The purpose of this paper is to identify the main features of seniors’ tourist behaviour and to determine a framework for classification and analysis. The paper presents the results of an extensive review of the recent literature on seniors’ tourist behaviour and it summarizes the relevant travel-related research on the senior tourist market. The findings reveal that the senior tourist market is not homogeneous. Today’s senior travellers are experienced consumers of products and services within the tourism and hospitality industry. These travellers prefer a higher level of comfort, perceive safety as an important factor in their decision making and, as a result, prefer package travel. Senior travellers show a desire for novelty, as well as a need to escape searching for authentic experiences. Additionally, they are interested in special interest travel and choose more physically challenging activities. The paper provides a framework for an improved understanding of the senior tourist market and its unique characteristics. It also provides useful insights for hospitality and tourism companies approaching the senior market segment and developing new products and services to meet the requirements of these travellers.

senior travellers, aging, seniors’ travel motivations, seniors’ tourist behaviour

nije evidentirano