Psychographics of Senior Nature Tourists: The Katy Nature Trail

The trend known as the "graying of America" is affecting the attitude that tourism marketers have towards seniors nowadays. This study focuses on analysing the differences between senior (50+) and non-senior tourists on their motivations for visiting a nature-based destination, their visitation patterns, and the recreation activities they engage in while there. The results demonstrate that seniors are more likely to be married, have children at home, be better educated than non-seniors, and use newspapers and magazines as information sources. The seniors are more likely to be motivated by activities that ensure their good health and physical fitness, their understanding of nature, and their personal enrichment. Marketing strategies are suggested to successfully appeal to this "new" nature-based senior market.