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Changing Trends in the Baby Boomer Travel Market: Importance of

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Changing Trends in the Baby Boomer Travel

Market: Importance of Memorable Experiences

Ian Patterson, Adela Balderas-Cejudo & Olga Rivera-Hernaez

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Changing Trends in the Baby Boomer Travel Market: Importance of Memorable Experiences,
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JOURNAL OF HOSPITALITY MARKETING & MANAGEMENT
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/19368623.2017.1255162

Changing Trends in the Baby Boomer Travel Market:

Importance of Memorable Experiences
Ian Pattersona, Adela Balderas-Cejudob and Olga Rivera-Hernaezc
a
Department of Marketing, School of Business (Tourism Cluster), The University of Queensland, St Lucia,
Queensland, Australia; bBilbao Chamber of Commerce University College, Licenciado Poza, Bilbao, Spain;
c
Deusto Business School, DBS Universidad de Deusto, San Sebastian, Spain

ABSTRACT KEYWORDS
Globally, the number of baby boomers who are age 60 years and Baby boomers; hotel and
over are expected to more than double, from 841 million people in resort services; hotel design;
2013 to more than 2 billion in 2050. In recent years, boomers have memorable experiences;
demonstrated that they are willing participants in new and memor- socio-demographics
able experiences where they can learn and broaden their minds
through travel to new locations and to learn more about different
cultures through a variety of first-hand experiences. As a result, the
numbers of baby boomer travelers over 60 years of age have grown
substantially from 593 million international travelers in 1999, which
has been forecast to exceed 2 billion trips per annum by 2050. The
hotel and resort industry needs to respond to their changing needs,
and allow guests to achieve memorable experiences in exotic and
different destinations as well as through the provision of hotel design
that is inextricably linked to the place they are visiting. This article
outlines the changing sociodemographic trends of baby boomers,
examines their need for different hotel and resort experiences in an
expanding market place, and concludes with a discussion of key
marketing considerations.

在全球范围内，60 岁及以上的“婴儿潮”一代人数预计将翻一番，即
从 2013 年的 8.41 亿人增加到 2050 年的 20 亿人以上。近年来，
婴儿潮一代表明他们愿意参与难忘的新体验，通过到新地方旅行来
增长见识和开阔心灵，通过第一手体验了解更多的不同文化。结
果，60 岁以上的婴儿潮一代游客数量大幅增长：1999 年约有5.93
亿次国际旅行，到 2050 年这一数字预计将超过每年 20 亿次。酒
店和度假村行业需要满足他们不断变化的需求，让旅客在异国他乡
享受异国情调，获得难忘的体验，并因地制宜进行相应的酒店设
计。本文概述了婴儿潮一代社会人口趋势的变化，考察了他们在不
断扩大的市场中对不同酒店和度假体验的需求，最后讨论了关键的
营销考虑因素。

Introduction
Academic researchers and destination managers are now beginning to recognize the
importance of older people and in particular baby boomers as a growing market segment
of the tourism and hospitality industry. The term “baby boomers” has been frequently
referred to in the marketing literature as a cohort of young-old people who were born at

CONTACT Ian Patterson ian.patterson@uq.edu.au School of Business (Tourism Cluster), The University of
Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia.
© 2017 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
2 I. PATTERSON ET AL.

the end of World War II (between 1946 and 1964). Baby boomers are now between 52 and
70 years old (in 2016), and their numbers are increasing at an unprecedented rate
(Horneman, Carter, Wei, & Ruys, 2002; Paxson, 2009; Shoemaker, 2000). The baby
boom generation has been referred to as the “pig-in-the-python” (Callanan &
Greenhaus, 2008) because of the extra 17 million babies born during that period, relative
to previous census figures (O’Bannon, 2001).
Baby boomers were born at a time of high economic growth and for the first time were
able to purchase new household appliances such as refrigerators, washing machines, televi-
sions, and automobiles (Deal, Stawiski, Gentry, & Cullen, 2014). They generally grew up in
two-parent families, attended safe schools, enjoyed high job security, and lived during a time
when there was a high level of postwar prosperity (Gursoy, Maier, & Chic, 2008). Baby
boomers were also raised in an era that encouraged tremendous confidence in the future,
with increased opportunities for advancement in their careers than previous generations.
They generally have a higher level of education, independent sources of income, access to
the Internet, and read the print media in greater numbers than previous generations
(Meiners, Schwartling, & Seeberger, 2010).
At the same time as these changing global aging patterns, baby boomers are beginning
to travel in greater numbers, which has resulted in a higher share of all vacation spending
(Littrell, Paige, & Song, 2004; Sangpikul, 2008; Wang, Chen, & Chou, 2007). Figures as far
back as 1999 have shown that in 1999, over 593 million international travelers were aged
60 years and over. However, by 2050 this figure has been projected to grow to exceed two
billion trips per annum (World Tourism Organisation, 2001). Baby boomers have also
reported the greatest aggregate increases in the likelihood of travel purchase behavior
compared to generation Xers and the senior segment (Beldona, Nusair, & Demicco, 2009).
These travel projections indicate that becoming older does not limit people’s desire to
travel; in fact the opposite is actually occurring (Boksberger & Laesser, 2009; Chen & Wu,
2009; Patterson & Pegg, 2009; Reece, 2004; Wang et al., 2007).
Based on these introductory remarks, the main aims of this article are to: (a) gain a
greater understanding of the socio-demographic characteristics of baby boomers (b)
acknowledge that the baby boomer market require different types of memorable experi-
ences during their stay in hotels and resorts (c) provide several key marketing recom-
mendations to the hotel and resort industry so as to better cater for, and encourage greater
numbers of baby boomers to travel.

The baby boomer travel market

Baby boomers have become the focus of most of the generational travel research princi-
pally because of the cohort’s increased numbers, economic influence, and impact on the
future of the tourism industry (Gardiner, Grace, & King, 2015). Studies have shown that
boomers exhibit diverse attitudes and lifestyles in comparison with previous cohorts of
retirees (Faranda & Schmidt, 2000; Moschis, Lee, & Mathur, 1997). They are often looking
for a wide range of different and exotic experiences, and are not merely prepared to just
visit the same destination every year (Patterson & Pegg, 2011).
Boomers are having a significant impact on the type of holidays that they are taking, and
although traveling to warmer climates is still popular, there has been increased spending on
holiday experiences that specifically focus on such niche markets as adventure, education,
 JOURNAL OF HOSPITALITY MARKETING & MANAGEMENT 3

and cultural tourism (World Tourism Organization, 2001). Baby boomers are a mixture of
diverse cohort groups with a distinct range of needs, abilities, and interests that are quite
different from previous generations (Ananth, DeMicco, Moreo, & Howey, 1992; Lehto,
Jang, Achana, & O’Leary, 2008; Patterson, 2006; Reece, 2004).
Recent studies on boomers have shown that there has been a paradigm shift in terms of
the unique characteristics of baby boomer tourists compared to other generations, which
are presented in the following section.

Baby boomers are “younger” than previous generations

Gerontological and psychological studies have confirmed that older adults see themselves
as younger than their chronological age (González, Rodríguez, Miranda, & Cervantes,
2009; Mathur, Sherman, & Schiffman, 1998; Meiners et al., 2010; Patterson, 2006). This is
known as subjective age and is based on how people “feel they are,” “think they look,”
“act,” and “show their interests” (p. 419). Meiners et al. (2010) concluded that older adults
felt between 7 and 15 years younger than their chronological age. González et al. (2009)
suggested that self-perceived age or “cognitive age” was a more appropriate term that
should be used in studies of older adults’ behaviors and motivations.

Baby boomers are living longer, are better educated and more affluent than
previous generations
Figures have shown that baby boomers have a longer average life expectancy, higher
discretionary income, better education and fewer children than previous older cohort
groups (Boksberger & Laesser, 2009; Karani & Fraccastoro, 2010; Ritchie, Carr, & Cooper,
2003; Wong, 2007), encouraging them to travel more than previous generations. In the
United States, baby boomers are very active travelers, and when an older sample was
recently surveyed by the American Association of Retired People (AARP, 2014), they
stated that they intended to take between four and five trips in 1 year. More than half
(55%) were expecting to travel in the USA, while four out of 10 (42%) wanted to travel
both domestically and internationally. Educationally, MacNeil (2001) noted that well over
half had graduated from high school, and approximately 1:4 completed a 4-year college
degree, which is a higher educational level than previous generations.

Baby boomers are more adventurous and require authentic learning experiences
Studies have documented that baby boomers have different attitudes and lifestyles compared
to previous cohorts of retirees (Faranda & Schmidt, 2000; Moschis et al., 1997), and because
of this, they are viewed as a heterogeneous groupings of older people who possess different
needs, abilities, and interests (Lehto et al., 2008; Patterson, 2006; Patterson & Pegg, 2009;
Reece, 2004). Given these findings, many are searching for a variety of unique and authentic
experiences and not to just visit the same destination every year (Patterson & Pegg, 2011).
Sightseeing and cultural trips are still popular for many baby boomers (such as visiting
countries for their scenery, food and wine attractions, gardens or parks, historical places,
museums and art galleries), however beach holidays are not as an attractive option as for
previous generations (Levine, 2008; World Tourism Organization, 2001). However, for
4 I. PATTERSON ET AL.

others, there has been a shift in their motivations away from vacations that focus on
relaxation and being entertained, to traveling more independently for “real-life” experi-
ences (Conceição & Skibba, 2008; Patterson & Pegg, 2009; Ritchie et al., 2003). For
example, some baby boomers are looking for greater experiential learning; they want to
discover, be involved in the activity, and gain skills and knowledge in order to enrich their
life experiences (Conceição & Skibba, 2008; Harwood, 2007).
Other older adventure seeker travelers are opting for expedition type cruises and trips
to Africa, South America, Antarctica, and emerging destinations such as Myanmar
(Fraser, 2012). Lehto et al. (2008) concluded that baby boomers prefer to participate in
holiday activities that include long-haul adventure trips, discovery and cultural trips, and
volunteering holidays. In terms of gender differences, men seek action and adventure
vacations while women were more likely to opt for cultural and educational experiences
(Chiang & Jogaratnam, 2006).

Baby boomers are technology users and social networkers

The most common sources used by baby boomers to help plan holidays are from word-of-
mouth such as friends and relatives, their own personal experiences, and sourcing the
expertise of travel agents (Levine, 2008). Over the last decade, the Internet has also
become popular as an information source In the UK, the Internet Advertising Bureau
concluded that “silver surfers” (55 years or older) were becoming the most important
growth group for Internet usage (TTG, 2006). In the United States, the Pew Research
Center (2014) found that for the first time, more than half of older adults (59%; age
65 years and older) had become Internet users. However Internet adoption was still lower
(47%) for the 75–79 year olds.
Baby boomers are also becoming more confident in using social networking activities
on the Internet. Many are using Facebook to share information about their activities, latest
news, and to search for useful links. They are using Facebook to connect with participants
and prospective participants for various learning activities. The number of women over
55 years on Facebook was found to be almost double the number of men, making women
over 55 the fastest growing demographic on Facebook in the United States (Smith, 2009).

Baby boomers prefer to travel as adult couples or alone

The majority of baby boomers travel as couples or alone. Traveling alone may be the result
of a divorce or the death of a spouse. Cai, Schwartz, and Cohen (2001) studied older adult
groups who traveled in Israel in 1997, and found that 50% of older adults traveled with
their partners or spouse, 40% traveled alone, while only 8% traveled in groups of three or
more people. In the United Kingdom, older baby boomers, especially women, are now
accepted as a growing niche market. These women were reported to feel inspired to plan
new trips, want to travel for memorable experiences, and are willing to pay more if they
felt the experience was worthwhile. They are IT savvy, loyal to a certain brand based on
previous experiences, have more time and freedom to undertake travel-related activities
than in their younger years, and prefer to travel with like-minded friends (TTG, 2010).
 JOURNAL OF HOSPITALITY MARKETING & MANAGEMENT 5

Baby boomers use travel agencies for their travel planning but many are becoming
independent travelers
Many older adults who are 50 years still book their own domestic holidays including
accommodation and flights through traditional travel agents (Levine, 2008). Numerous
single, widowed, or divorced older women still prefer to join group package tours that
are organized through a travel agency because it provides them with a greater chance for
social interaction as well as increased safety and security (Patterson & Pegg, 2009).
Conversely, research carried out in Great Britain by Travel Group Index (TTG,
2006) found that many 50-plus UK holidaymakers were prepared to make their own
holiday arrangements. Figures released in 2006 have shown that 4.2 million holiday-
makers over 55 years were happy to book their own travel, compared to 3.4 million in
2005. Of those, 32% said they had used websites to plan and 31% had booked their last
holiday online. This research also confirmed that there was an overall decline in the
numbers who were booking traditional package breaks. In contrast, the proportion who
said they wanted to make their own travel and accommodation arrangements had
increased from 41% to 45%.

Baby boomers who have a disability and/or associated health problems still want
to travel
Research has indicated that overall, baby boomers are a healthy and active generation,
however a recent study has found that some baby boomers are actually in worse health
than their parents at the same age. In fact this boomer sample was found to be more
obese, have higher levels of diabetes, and/or blood pressure than previous generations
even though they were expected to live 20 years longer (King, Matheson, Chirina, Shankar,
& Broman-Fulks, 2013). The hotel and resort industry needs to be more cognizant of the
fact that because some older guests have chronic health problems still want to travel, there
is a basic need to make special provisions for older guests with a disability. These chronic
health conditions can also result in mobility restrictions. Callan and Bowerman (2000)
noted this in his study of mature British travelers, that one of the attributes that they
preferred when selecting a hotel was “ease of maneuverability,” however this was rarely
mentioned in the hotel advertising and information listings. It was interesting to note that
almost half (44.2%) of their respondents looked for at least one specific feature such as
ramps and lifts because of their mobility restrictions. The authors concluded that hotels
need to better prepared to respond to the mobility needs of baby boomers as they are
becoming more prominent travelers.

Summary
There has been an increased demand for tourism products that are not typically associated
with older adult tourists of previous generations, “They are the biggest participants of
volunteer-related travel who look for spiritual or experiential aspects of travel as much as
the young market do” (in Fraser, 2012). Educational tourism, soft adventure holidays,
service learning, and volunteering holidays are examples of new tourist products for older
6 I. PATTERSON ET AL.

travelers, particularly baby boomers. Many prefer long-haul adventure trips over a shorter
time period and are choosing more active type holidays.
Today, baby boomers are more affluent, healthy and active, better educated, more IT
savvy, and are becoming increasingly confident about using the Internet as a major
source for planning their trip/s. They are more discerning in what they buy and
consume (Wong, 2007) and are good researchers (Meiners et al., 2010). They often
use different communication sources for their travel plans although they may consult a
travel agency for information before making a final travel decision. Together with
alternative tourism products being offered in the market such as low-cost long haul
flights, many are finding that booking online is a cheaper and faster alternative than
using a travel agent.

How has the hotel and resort industry responded?

Although these trends are becoming increasingly apparent, many hotel and resort man-
agers still seem to be ignorant of the fact that baby boomers actually exist and are an
emerging global market. This can be seen through the paucity of advertising that is
targeting this group, with very few hotel websites actually including photos of promotions
that are targeting older guests (Paxson, 2009). Caber and Albayrak (2013) concluded from
research conducted on the senior market that it was still largely underexplored when they
stated, “Studies about the attributes of hospitality services and their importance for senior
tourist’s hotel choices are still very limited” (p. 612).
The hotel industry needs to be better prepared to offer older travelers more for their
money, than merely providing a basic meal or lodging to be able to survive in the future
(Paxson, 2009). One of the few enticements that several hotel chains in America and
Europe are offering is price discounts for senior groups during the off-peak season.
Marriott Hotels and Resorts who have more than 500 properties in 60 countries are
providing increased benefits of between 5% and 30% discounts for seniors (aged 62 years
and over) depending on the hotel and room rate, and the season of the year. In some
cases, free entry to the Executive Lounge is also included. This suggests that reduced hotel
rates and the relaxation of seasonal restrictions for baby boomers will become important
to this cohort as they become more prominent travelers in future years.
Hudson (2010) stated that “traveling boomers” are now demanding a memorable
experience rather than a holiday. What they really want are memorable, personal, and
unique experiences compared to previous generations of older travelers.

What are memorable experiences?

A memorable experience occurs when individuals feel that there is some emotional,
intellectual, physical, and/or spiritual stimulation that absorbs them so as they become
closer and more attracted to the atmosphere or setting, such as in a resort or hotel (Tung
& Ritchie, 2011). Pine and Gilmore (1999) asserted that experiences are fundamentally
personal, existing only in the mind of an individual, and are complex processes which rely
on the five senses that supports and enhances the theme. The more senses that an
experience engages, the more effective and memorable they will be, because the more
images that visitors can obtain and retain from the environment that are not part of their
 JOURNAL OF HOSPITALITY MARKETING & MANAGEMENT 7

routine life will be remembered longer into the future (Andereck, Bricker, Kerstetter, &
Nickerson, 2006).
Tung and Ritchie (2011) applied what they termed as a “reminiscence bump approach”
in a qualitative study of the psychological memories of the older travel market, in which
they identified five main characteristics of older travelers’ memorable experiences. These
were (a) “identity formation” or self-image and development; (b) “family milestones”
(family events including visiting friends and relatives); (c) “relationship development”
with significant others; (d) “nostalgia re-enactment” (reliving past experiences); and (e)
“freedom pursuits” (learning, adventure, and exploration).
Tung and Ritchie concluded that the senior market is becoming more interested in
revisiting many of their memorable experiences that had previously occurred to them at
critical stages throughout their lives. They found that many of these memorable experi-
ences were critical to the formation of personal identity development and family mile-
stones, and these helped to define who they were, many of which focused on a major
family event such as a visit to Disneyland. They also found that memorable experiences
evolved from what they termed “freedom pursuits,” which was defined as a later stage of
life when they were free from family, time, and financial obligations. Specifically, these
recollected memories were based on nostalgic experiences that were linked to learning,
adventure, and exploration, and which often signified the transition into a new stage of
life. One of the male interviewees stated:
I haven’t truly had together time with my wife for the last 30 years at least . . . this is a time
where I can breathe, feel all relaxed, throw away all the burdens and stresses . . . the trip marks
another major step in life. (Tung & Ritchie, 2011, p. 338)

As a result of these changing trends, hotel and resort managers need to customize their
products so as to facilitate an environment that enhances the likelihood that visitors will
develop new, or to re-live memorable past experiences.

Selecting a hotel or resort to create a memorable experience

What types of experiences do baby boomer tourists look for when choosing a hotel or
resort? How is the hotel industry responding to the needs of this expanding market and
will this change the way hotels are designed in the future? Hotels need to seriously
consider what types of facilities and services need to be specifically designed for older
tourists so as to help them create or re-live their memorable past experiences. One of the
first studies that investigated the perceptions of older people (60 years and older) toward
hotel attributes was by Wei, Ruys, and Muller (1999). The attributes that they studied were
price, location, facilities, hotel restaurant, room furnishings, front desk efficiency, and staff
attitude. They analyzed their results after collecting self-administered mail questionnaires
that were completed by 154 older consumers in Queensland, Australia as well as by 44
hotel marketing managers in Australia. They found that hotel facilities was ranked as the
most important attribute (40.8% for older respondents; 42.9% for managers) while fur-
nishings (25.2%; 20.1%), price (12.7%; 11.9%) and restaurant food quality (11.8%; 17.1%)
were moderately important, while location (5.5%; 1.6%), staff attitude (3.1%; 5.0%) and
front desk service (0.9%; 1.4%) were found to be relatively unimportant. Wei et al. (1999)
concluded that marketing managers have underestimated the importance of comfortable
8 I. PATTERSON ET AL.

and pleasant room furnishings and an appealing room atmosphere; while overestimating
the importance of the quality of food in the hotel restaurant for older, repeat customers.
Zhang, Ye, and Law (2011) also identified “room quality” and “location” as the most
influential factor that persuaded senior customers to choose an economy hotel.
In another study, Callan and Bowerman (2000) surveyed 104 older British travelers
with the median age of 72 years, using self-administrated questionnaires that asked them
to rate the importance of 38 attributes when selecting a hotel or judging its quality. The
respondents placed greater emphasis on “value for money” although they were not
strongly influenced by low prices or discounts. Ramanathan (2012) also found that
value for money was a significant influence on loyalty behavior of senior customers.
Cleanliness and safety were the two most important enticements for senior Taiwanese
travelers (Jang & Wu, 2006). Caber and Albayrak (2013) surveyed a large number of
senior German, British, and Dutch visitors in 13 five-star hotels in Antalya, Turkey. The
researchers concluded that ‘cleanliness’ and ‘staff attitudes’ were the most important
attributes for the senior German and British tourists, while only the Dutch respondents
attached greater importance on food service attributes such as small food portions and
special dietary menus. Other researchers found that service and the attitudes of staff were
important components of service quality. Callan and Bowerman (2000) concluded that
politeness, the responsiveness and friendliness of staff, efficiency, and promptness of
service were rated as their top 10 attributes. Juwaheer (2004) found that friendly and
personable staff enhanced visitor perceptions of service quality. Grougiou and Pettigrew
(2011) used in-depth interviews and projective techniques with 60 Scottish seniors of
different demographic backgrounds. They created a model to show how seniors evaluated
their service encounter interactions, which emphasized the need for service providers to
identify and to value the characteristics of frontline service staff that contributed to
satisfactory service encounters with seniors.
In summary, these studies have differed in their findings signifying that older tourists
are overall, a heterogeneous cohort group that have different requirements to satisfy their
immediate needs in regard to a memorable hotel experience. Hotel design that encourages
comfortable and pleasant room furnishings were seen to be the most important in studies
by Wei, Ruys, & Muller (1999), and Zang, Ye, and Law (2011). However, Callan and
Bowerman (2000) and Ramanathan (2012) concluded that value for money had a sub-
stantial influence on loyalty behavior; while cleanliness was more important for Taiwanese
tourists (Jang & Wu, 2006) and senior German and British tourists (Caber & Albayrak,
2013). Callan and Bowerman (2000) and Grougiou and Pettigrew (2011) agreed that
friendly and personable frontline service staff that exhibited friendly attitudes and beha-
vior enhanced the older visitor perceptions of service quality.
These studies also suggest that hotel design can help create memorable experiences for
older tourists, through the tailoring and facilitation of an environment that will motivate
them to revisit and to spread positive word of mouth communication through family and
friends.

Buying a memorable experience can be enhanced by hotel design

Hotel design includes the planning, drafting, design, and development of hotels (Penner,
Adams, & Robson, 2013). A memorable experience that is achieved through hotel design
 JOURNAL OF HOSPITALITY MARKETING & MANAGEMENT 9

and is embraced by consumers can achieve a sustainable competitive advantage for hotels
or resorts (Shaw & Ivens, 2005). Suggs (2016, p. 1) summed this up when he stated:

Creating a framework that allows guests to have the experience they seek has more to do with
creating a meaningful connection between the hotel and the unique place and allowing the
guest to experience that connection. A hotel where a guest can step outside onto a balcony,
breathe the air in a courtyard, or hear the sounds and see the activity of this unique place
from a terrace creates memories.

Hotels need to provide a full balanced hotel experience that includes a mixture of both
hardware components (physical elements) and software components (ambiance). Older
travelers can use their five main senses in the hotel or resort to achieve this balanced
experience. Optical stimulation is achieved for instance by the lighting, art, decoration and
overall room presentation. Olfactory comprises scents, food, freshness, cleanliness, and
aromas. Sound, music, silence, atmospheric background, or conversations are part of the
auditory stimuli. The gustatory might possibly include the ingredients and flavors. In
order to achieve guest satisfaction, all these areas need to be coordinated appropriately and
this is seen to be the greatest challenge when delivering a fully sensual client experience
(Freund de Klumbis, 2002).
Another area of hotel design that is crucial to achieve a memorable experience is
through the provision of the most up to date technological services. Baby boomers
generally view technology as important and many are now technically proficient
(Patterson, 2007). While most are not yet fully tech-dependent, many older people
are becoming increasingly more confident in their use of the Internet and social
media. Perceived problems still exist with such aspects as credit card fraud, quality
control and privacy issues making some older travelers loathe to use their credit card
for direct Internet purchases. On the other hand, the number of baby boomers who
are using the Internet has increased significantly over the last few years to 58%,
compared to 84% of all American adults (Perrin & Duggan, 2015). Furthermore, hotels
need to provide the option of offering convenient mobile-optimized online bookings
and self-service apps, and to ensure that their technology is user-friendly, as well as
providing reliable Internet access that is included in the room rate and is wireless
friendly.
Another future challenge facing the hotel and resort industry is catering for baby
boomers who have reached the “old-old” (85 years and over) life stage and who may
have developed a range of age-related health problems (such as arthritis, dementia, and
cancer) and still want to travel (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2014). With
this in mind, there is an increasing demand for hotels to provide extra goods and services
such additional blankets and pillows in rooms, special bed covers, heating pads, night
lights, fire safety instructions in large print, television sets that are not difficult to operate,
and the availability of special refrigeration facilities for medicine (Ruys, 1997). Medical
studies have noted that people who are aged over the age of 60 need 3 times more light
than 20-year-olds to perform routine tasks, therefore there is the need to provide brighter
light levels with a reduced amount of glare (Hegde & Rhodes, 2009). Therefore, in the
future, hotel owners will need to provide assistance for the sensory and mobility losses of
older guests, which may involve extra expenditure but it is anticipated that this will result
in increased patronage.
10 I. PATTERSON ET AL.

The requirements from legislation (for example the American Disabilities Act, 1990;
www.ada.gov) in the United States; the Disability Discrimination Act (1992; www.legislation.
gov.au/Details/C2006C00092) in Australia; and 1995 in the UK) have made many hotel owners
more aware of the importance of catering for the disability and aging market. The addition of
ramps that are well lighted, and other physical modifications have helped to change hospitality
facilities to better accommodate for the normal aging processes that are related to sight, hearing,
and mobility. Hotel managers need to evaluate levels of lighting and signage in public areas, as
well as slippery floor materials such as marble and tiles in lobbies and bathrooms (Ananth et al.,
1992). Closets should also have lower shelving allowing space for guests in wheelchairs.
Bathroom grab bars need to be fitted near showers, baths, and toilets, and nonslippery
floors are important (Caro, 1991). Staff should to be trained to be aware of changes in an
older person’s vision and hearing so that they can respond to their special needs without causing
embarrassment (Kim & Lehto, 2012).

Conclusion
There is now an increasing demand for tourism and hospitality experiences that are not
normally associated with older adults from past generations. Baby boomers are now
bucking the “blue-rinse brigade” stereotype, and openly rejecting the idea of growing
old gracefully. As a result, tourism and hospitality operators need to avoid treating
baby boomers as “older people” and appeal to their “forever young” attitudes. Many are
adding unusual destinations to their itinerary to attract baby boomers as, “They are the
biggest participants of volunteer-related travel who look for spiritual or experiential
aspects of travel as much as the young market do” (Fraser, 2012, p. 6). Boomers are
demanding new and exotic destinations in their search for memorable experiences that
may include educational tourism, soft adventure holidays, cultural and heritage visits,
and volunteering holidays. In addition, long-haul adventure trips in the off season are
also becoming more popular, while others prefer a shorter travel period, to be more
active, so that they will not be away from home for long periods of time (Patterson &
Pegg, 2011).
These findings suggest that baby boomers prefer memorable experiences where they
can learn and to broaden their minds through their travels. Many baby boomers have
attained higher levels of formal educational qualifications than previous generations,
and now have the time and desire to research and travel to new and exotic locations, to
participate in exciting soft adventure activities such as white water rafting and jet
boating, and to learn more about different cultures through a variety of first hand
experiences. As a result of these emerging trends, the hotel and resort industry must
also be able to quickly respond to the changing needs of baby boomers. A hotel brand
needs to create a framework that permits guests to achieve the experience that they are
seeking, and for many, the hotel design needs to be inextricably linked to the place that
they are visiting. Suggs (2016) suggested that through creative architectural design
features, hotels can evoke a sense of mystery, romance, or adventure so as to create
experiences that are inherently memorable. For example, the RTLK-designed Grand
Hyatt Grand Shenzhen, which is located in the Luohu District in China, is situated in a
distinctive 38-story crested building with the top seven floors encased in glass so as to
create an illuminated lantern at night.
 JOURNAL OF HOSPITALITY MARKETING & MANAGEMENT 11

Table 1. Importance of the provision of design features in hotels and resorts to specifically cater for the
travel needs of baby boomers.
Characteristics of baby boomers
Perceive themselves to be younger and more
physically active.
Baby boomers are living longer, better educated,
and more affluent than previous generations.
Baby boomers are more adventurous and require
authentic learning experiences.
Baby boomers are technology users and social
networkers.
Baby boomers prefer to travel as a couple or alone. Provision of boutique hotels with one-room apartments, children-
Baby boomers still use travel agencies but an
increasing trend toward independent travel.
Baby boomers who have a disability and/or
associated health problems still want to travel. covers, heating pads, night lights, fire safety instructions in large
Importance of hotel and resort design
Provision of facilities that promote physical activities such as a
gymnasium, swimming pool, hiking, and running trails. Organize
activities that promote social interaction with younger people.
Need comfortable and pleasant room fittings and an appealing
atmosphere. Cleanliness, safety, and location were also found to
be important.
Provide research facilities and travel to new and exotic locations.
Friendly and personable frontline service staff.
Provision of, or access to, bookings for adventure activities.
Small group learning about a particular culture—guest speakers,
hands-on learning experiences, short courses, or organized trips.
Provide access to Internet facilities in all hotel and resort rooms.
free hotels.
Travel agency linked to hotel or resort. Provide access to Internet
facilities in all rooms.
Tour office.
Provide additional blankets and pillows in rooms, special bed
print, television sets that are easy to operate, refrigeration
facilities for medicine.
Closets should have lower shelving for guests in wheelchairs.
Bathroom grab bars should be placed near showers, baths, and
toilets, and nonslippery floors are important.
Increased levels of lighting and larger signage in public areas.
Ramps and lifts must be incorporated into the hotel and resort
design.

A number of recommendations have been suggested in the literature to help hotel and
resort proprietors to become more aware, and to better cater for an aging population (See
Table 1).
When choosing a hotel or resort, baby boomers have indicated that they prefer
comfortable and pleasant room furnishings, high levels of cleanliness, and friendly/posi-
tive attitudes of staff. The architecture and interior design requirements need to provide a
feeling of quality for the hotel, so as to create a calming interior that will help provide a
respite from living in a crowded, frenetic city. Disability legislation has provided hotel
owners with increased guidance and awareness of “barrier-free design” for baby boomer
travelers who have disabilities or health problems, so that they are better prepared to
respond to any health emergencies that may occur. Physical modifications such as
increased levels of lighting and large print signage in public areas should be encouraged,
while ramps and lifts must be incorporated into the hotel or resort design to better
accommodate the normal aging processes that are associated with diminished sight,
hearing and reduced mobility.

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