The era when people over 55 only went out for a piece of apple pie and a cup of coffee appears to be over. People over 55 are more willing than ever to travel and their importance to the travel industry will increase by millions of euros in the coming years, according to ABN Amro.
The reason: Their wealth is increasing, the number of dual-income couples is increasing, and their numbers are increasing due to the aging population. Therefore, more travel and more luxurious accommodation are demanded. It is also giving rise to new travel trends: bike tours and food trips are becoming more popular, writes ABN Amro.
The bank assumes that the Dutch will spend more than €1 billion on cycling holidays for the first time this year. More than half of this comes from the wallets of people over 55. “As soon as children leave home, more money remains in these age groups, especially if they are also dual-earners,” says Stef Driessen, a researcher from ABN Amro.
E-bike more often
Active holidays or food trips generate huge amounts of money for the entire tourism industry: According to the bank, holiday spending by people over 55 will increase from over 7 billion euros in 2022 to around 10 billion euros in 2027.
“Those between the ages of 55 and 65 tend to go a little further,” says Driessen. “They also spend a little more abroad and keep their holidays a little shorter. “People over 65 are spending their money on longer holidays of sixteen nights or more, especially domestically.”
Driessen says the tourism industry in the Netherlands can respond to this. “Cycling holidays are very popular, but it is not yet possible to park your bike in every hotel kiosk. It’s also not nice to leave your bike in your hotel room.”
Wijnhotel Dormio Valkenburg is already working intensively on this issue. Each room is decorated by a famous winemaker. “We focus primarily on people aged 45-65. “More and more, they are coming with e-bikes and going out into nature.”
When checking out, the staff asks if they are going home and is gradually told that this is a new destination. “People are having fun and that’s good to hear,” hotel manager Sylvia Dinjens said.
(Grandchild)going out with the children
One of the trends ABN Amro is seeing is the popularity of so-called multigenerational travel. On such holidays, grandparents go on a trip with their children and grandchildren, for example, in a bungalow. “This is different than traveling to Africa for family weekends instead of family days,” says Driessen.
You can see this at the De Leistert theme park in Roggel, Limburg. “We see grandfathers and grandmothers going on vacation with their grandchildren. This already existed and I think Corona has strengthened it even more,” says Angelique Joosten. “It definitely adds more color to your life.”
Long trip
ABN Amro says the trends present new opportunities for the tourism industry. For example, older people are more likely to avoid traveling during the high season, and people over 65 in particular spend more time going out.
Driessen assumes that senior citizens’ holiday spending will continue to rise. High prices do not prevent this. “Pleasingly, wages are also increasing. And in fact, the importance of vacation and free time is also increasing. “I think we will make concessions on other issues as well, and we see this, for example, in clothing sales.”
Source: NOS
Roy Brown is a renowned economist and author at The Nation View. He has a deep understanding of the global economy and its intricacies. He writes about a wide range of economic topics, including monetary policy, fiscal policy, international trade, and labor markets.
