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The 2006 film The Bucket List, which popularized the term so synonymous with the travel industry these days, was the story of two men seeking to do all the things they wanted to in life before it was too late. And despite the fact that both Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson are members of the Silent Generation, the narrative is one that resonates with baby boomers. It’s not anything new necessarily — boomers had The Endless Summer and Easy Rider in the 1960s as inspiration — but in their golden years, they’re making the most of their freedom and planning trips everywhere from Cancun to Cairo. So while the travel industry rightly focuses on catering to millennials and Gen Zers, they shouldn’t ignore the bucket-listing boomers.
Baby boomers are more trusting of traditional travel brands
When it comes to baby boomers, one thing the travel industry has going in its favor is history. This generation has been going on trips for decades, so the level of trust they have in the sector outpaces that of younger generations — that is, for the most part. Baby boomers have high levels of trust in the heritage sub industries within travel: hotels and loyalty programs, airports, airlines and rental car companies. In other words, the brands they’ve been interacting with for years.
But sub categories that are newer to the landscape have some work to do to build rapport with baby boomers, who are less familiar with the brands’ products or services. Rideshare companies in particular are trusted by less than half of the generation, and vacation rentals don’t fare much better. The ironic thing is that these companies can serve the life stage and travel needs of baby boomers very well — vacation rentals offer space for larger family trips and rideshares can be convenient for those who would prefer a chauffeur in unknown locales. But when push comes to shove, baby boomers tend to lean towards the familiar.
A potential inroad for vacation rentals in particular is through travel advisors. Baby boomers highly trust and frequently leverage advisors for their travel planning, using them to help plan, research and book trips that feel overwhelming or challenging to do on one’s own. Building a rapport with travel advisors and becoming a trusted recommendation can lead to bookings and eventually a foundation of trust in these brands as well.
Brands can establish connections through baby boomers’ families
Another potential way for brands to build trust with baby boomers is through their family. Members of all generations prioritize connection with loved ones while traveling, but this motivator is more potent with baby boomers than any of their younger counterparts. About two-thirds of this generation say they’ll travel in the next year to spend time with friends and family, at least 12 percentage points higher than any other generation.
That’s not to say they’re not seeking other benefits from travel: nearly 1 in 5 say they are looking for adventure, and almost as many say they’re traveling for mental health or cultural experiences. But marketers can’t ignore the primary driver, especially as it presents new travel occasions. For example, multigenerational travel has risen in popularity, with baby boomer grandparents traveling alongside their millennial kids and Gen Alpha grandkids. But there’s also skip-generational travel – grandparents taking their grandchildren on a trip, leaving out the middle generation.
Traveling alongside members of younger generations can expose baby boomers to brands within newer-to-the-industry subcategories. Perhaps their millennial child hails an UberXL to transport the family from the airport, or their Gen Z grandkid suggests an Airbnb so everyone has their own space on the family reunion trip. The younger generations engage with and trust these brands and multigenerational or skip-gen trips are the perfect opportunity to introduce baby boomers to their services.
Why baby boomers should matter to travel brands
It may be easy to write off baby boomers and focus on Gen Zers and millennials, who comprise the lion’s share of leisure travel bookings. But brands who do so are missing a big opportunity. More than three quarters of baby boomers said they plan to travel for leisure within the coming year, a number that is up 10 percentage points from October 2021 when Morning Consult tracking began.
And when they travel, they spend more than millennials and Gen Zers — perhaps surprising given that many are on a fixed income. But it’s a sign that the generation’s engagement in travel won’t subside, and may in fact grow as more baby boomers retire. In short, the time is now for brands in all areas of the industry to engage with this travel-happy generation.
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