CONTRIBUTOR Generation game


Millennials may be the marketing dream of the moment, but don’t forget the older ready-to-spend travellers out there too, says April Hutchinson.


Amid all recent talk of millennials, it’s easy to forget a sizeable group of consumers languishing somewhere in the middle between these always-on youthful travellers and the baby boomers.


April Hutchinson, Editor, ttgluxury


Born primarily between 1955-1967, ‘generation Jones’ came after the boomers but quietly transitioned to adulthood with none of the fuss and angst of Gen X. They were identified and christened by Jonathan Pontell, who has highlighted how many of them are world leaders – think David Cameron, Barak Obama, Enrique Pena Nieto and Angela Merkel.


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Jonesers are at the peak of their earning power and in many countries have the most disposable income and spend the most relative to the other generations, according to Pontell. Their middle age sees them experiencing a ‘now- or-never’ mid-life feeling about their youthful dreams and expectations - young enough to go for it, they are also old enough to have the resources to do so. Culturally curious, they are thirsty for new travel experiences and open to adventure. While many Jonesers travel with school-aged children, many others are newly empty-nesters eager for travel adventures a deux. Many are onto a second marriage and a more esoteric kind of honeymoon to match.


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Red Savannah marketing director Sarah-Leigh Shenton says Generation Jones is the most complex and interesting demographic for her, now constituting her main client base.


“Children are still a consideration, though as their kids are usually in their teens, Jonesers are more adventurous in terms of destination and activity,” she says. “They’re generally physically fit, experienced, intelligent and being a few further rungs up the career ladder, reasonably affluent.”


Recognising their imminent empty-nest situation, this is a last chance to create some enduring memories as a family, ‘doing something extraordinary’ on holiday, with experiential, learning and challenging activities featuring in their requirements. Think Clayquot Wilderness Resort in Canada’s British Columbia, camping in the Omani desert, father-son bonding trips to the Arctic and African safaris.


They are also looking to celebrate - Red Savannah has launched a portfolio collection of venues to help them do just that, such as Leobo Private Reserve in South Africa and as Red Savannah founder, George Morgan-Grenville, adds: “50 appears to be the new 40.”


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