Elderly and less mobile consumers need to be targeted by the travel industry with specialist holidays and services, the Abta Travel Convention heard.
There will be growing numbers of the demographic looking for accessible holidays that travel companies face ignoring at their peril, according to Silver Travel Advisor managing director Debbie Marshall.
They will require accessible and even care-assisted holidays and face challenges over their suitability for renting cars and travel insurance.
While they like gentle holidays and cruises, the industry must target them better.
This is against a backdrop of 50% more people likely to be living to 100 and working into their 80s in the future.
Marshall also highlighted emerging segments of over-50s travellers including multi-generational groups of families and increasing numbers of post-menopause female travellers.
The rise of the “50-plus adventuress” in research by the by the specialist travel organisation showed that 37% of women are now travelling on their own. They have high disposable income, are looking good and want to make the most of their lives, according to Marshall.
They like self development and learning holidays, single group trips and therapy and holistic holidays.
The overall opportunity for the travel sector is to target the 24.4 million over-50s who represent almost 60% of travel and tourism spend.