Baby Boomers and Adventure Tourism: The Importance of Marketing the Leisure Experience

Tourism is big business, especially for older people, and they are becoming increasingly targeted by the marketers and travel companies who see this niche market as a growing field. One of the areas of tourism that is regarded as a developing market and is predicted to grow by at least 10 to 15% every year in the next decade is adventure tourism. This paper looks at the demographic characteristics of “baby boomers” and their growing interest in adventure tourism as they age. This trend is attributed to the fact that many baby boomers are generally healthier, financially well off, better educated and have a greater desire for novelty, escape and authentic experiences than previous cohorts of older people. Recently, many baby boomer and senior adult groups are opting for more physically challenging and “adrenalin driven” activities. The writings of a number of leisure researchers were analyzed to ascertain if there were any major differences with the tourism literature. Tourism researchers generally use a consumer behaviour theoretical approach to emphasise the perceived benefits or constraints of the adventure experience. However, marketing campaigns should attempt to include statements from older people from a social-psychological perspective that are based on their actual feelings about the adventure experience. Terms such as enjoyment, flow, optimum arousal, and meeting new friends should be used to emphasise a sense of freedom and fun, rather than concentrating on the consumer behaviour research that often emphasises negative.