NEWS SPECIAL REPORT
The Silver Travel Industry Report 2018: Research by advice site suggests more older travellers are spending less but holidaying more. Report by Amie Keeley
chose a city 43%
28%
31%
chose an
break as their preferred holiday
ocean cruise 51%
say there is insufficient provision for those needing accessible facilities
chose a beach holiday
spend more than 40%
£3,000 per person each year on holidays
use a travel agent, either in person, online or on the phone
31% Figures rounded. Source: Silver Travel Advisor
Silver travellers ‘spending less’ 59%
High-spending older travellers now make up a smaller share of the over-50s travel market than before, according to new consumer research.
The proportion of over-50s
saying they spend more than £3,000 per person each year on travel has fallen from 48% to 40%. And the proportion spending
more than £5,000 has dropped from 24% to 13%. The figures come from Silver
Travel Advisor’s annual survey of the travel habits of the over-50s, carried out in October 2017. By contrast, it found the
proportion of older travellers saying they spent between £1,000-£2,999 per person on their holidays had risen from 41% in 2016 to 45% last year, while the figure for those spending less than £1,000 had almost doubled from 11% in 20%, according to the survey of 1,000 members of the advice and reviews site. While many pensioners are
widely reported to enjoy a comfort- able retirement, more than 80% of respondents said their wealth was exaggerated in the media.
say a company’s reputation is a
key factor when choosing whom to book with
Price not a factor
Despite the apparent dip in average spending, 85% said they planned to take the same number of holidays or more over the next 12 months. More than three out of four (77%) also said price was the least important factor when choosing a holiday. The findings echo figures
reported in the Travel Weekly Insight Annual Report 2017-18.
It quoted consumer research by Kantar TNS which suggested the proportion of over-55s planning to spend more on overseas holidays in the year ahead had dropped from 43% the year before to 40%. Silver Travel’s report also found
12
travelweekly.co.uk 25 January 2018
the mature market is increasingly turning to the internet, with two-thirds (67%) of respondents researching or booking online, up from 61% last year. Almost a third (31%) visit a travel agent in person, over the phone or online, broadly in line with the prior year.
Issues remain
The biggest gripes for older travellers are single supplements and provision of disabled facilities. More than half (58%) of
respondents said not enough was being done for solo travellers and 50% said mobility issues were not being properly addressed. Debbie Marshall, managing
director of Silver Travel Advisor, said: “Older travellers seem to be feeling some economic headwinds but they remain determined to travel as much as ever – or more. “Company reputation and
customer service matter more than price to the silver traveller. “Today’s older travellers are very much part of the digital age. Two- thirds of the over-50s are looking and/or booking online, either through travel agents or direct with travel companies, hotels, airlines and intermediaries.”
60%
plan to take three or more holidays in the next year
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