Delighting the Senior Tourist

Abstract

Because the number of seniors (aged 60-plus) in Australia., Canada, New Zealand and the United States forms roughly a third of the adult population in each of these countries, and this proportion is growing, there is considerable economic incentive for tourism marketers to sharpen their focus on older people. Because many of these seniors have the desire and means or travel for pleasure, discovery and learning, the ultimate goal for marketers could well be to delight them into becoming repeat customers. The concept of consumer delight, as distinct from mere satisfaction, is explored in this paper. However, marketing strategies aimed at delighting senior tourists need to recognize that this group is far from homogeneous. In this study, interviews of 356 retirees yielded data on their motives for vacation travel, preferences for vacation destination cypress, favorite mode of travel, and personal values. The results of factor analyses led to the identification of seven travel-motive segments labeled Nostalgics. Friendlies, Learners. Escapists, Thinkers, Status-Seekers, and Physicals. Strategies for delighting senior tourists will vary according to segment, thus the proposed consumer­ delight strategies are discussed for each of the segments.