Baby boomers turning grey: European profiles

Maria Teresa Pinheiro Melo Borges Tiago, João Pedro de Almeida Couto, Flávio Tiago and Sandra Micaela Costa Dias Faria

Tourism Management, 2016, vol. 54, issue C, 13-22

Abstract: Globally, the senior or “grey” tourism segment is of increasing importance, reflecting a richer aging population with good health and a desire to travel. Though this niche is traditionally described as homogeneous, grey tourism comprises different subgroups. Identifying the profiles, preferences, and behaviors of these subgroups has become an important task for organizations competing to satisfy tourist demands. This study classifies the factors that most influence mature travelers' decisions. Using a database of 3458 respondents from 35 European countries, four new grey tourism market subgroups were identified. These were named “explorers”, “livewires”, “vacationers”, and “homebodies”, to reflect different preferences and behaviors. The implications for destination marketing and management are also discussed.

Keywords: Senior tourism; Europe; Niche market; Ageing; Segmentation strategy; Tourist buying behaviors (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:touman:v:54:y:2016:i:c:p:13-22

DOI: 10.1016/j.tourman.2015.10.017

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