Mature International Travelers

Abstract

Abstract With aging of the world's population, older travelers will continue to comprise a growing proportion of the world's travel population. This research examines differences within the older travel group with respect to travel product preferences and benefits sought with a focus on differences between males and females. The data used are from the 1997 French Pleasure Travel Market Survey and include those travelers over 50 years of age. Cluster analysis and ANOVA are employed. While there are some similarities between male and female responses, there are also differences in terms of destination attributes and benefits sought that underscore the identification of three distinct traveling groups. These results point out marketing implications, but also point toward methodological concerns that might guide future research.