Baby Boomers continue to hold a strong grip on the luxury travel market, spending more than $2 trillion each year, according to research company Mintel.

They are increasingly interested in healthcare and wellbeing with breaks that produce measurable results, as seen at The Ranch in Malibu, a results orientated luxury boot camp that helps guests achieve fitness,nutritional, weight-loss and detox goals.

Boomer Luxurians appreciate ‘slowtopia’ travel: glamorous, languorous journeys, such as the nine-day trip on The Deccan Odyssey, a train in India that features a spa, fine dining, libraries, lounge cars and butlers.

Reaching their twilight years, Baby Boomer Luxurians are less interested in material goods, and prefer to spend on experiential goods. ‘If you’re 50 years old, you’re looking at having 30 years left,’ says Pam Danziger, founder of luxury marketing company Unity Marketing. ‘Boomers are thinking, ‘What do I want to do?’
For them, the answer isn’t buying a diamond ring, it’s buying an experience.

Great 2 Min Video on relevant Consumer Trends for 2012.  How might these effect the Travel Industry?
My thoughts…

• Need to “Escape” from todays pressures= travel without hassel. Well organized immersive small group tours & well planned FIT

• Global Connection: “We vs Me”, looking to connect, give back, become a global citizen. Experiential International Travel, Community Based Tourism, Travelers Philanthropy & Voluntourism

• Green Movement & Importance of Food: Growth of Culinary, Organic & Farm Tourism

• Women having more choices and changing priorities. Women increasingly choosing travel.

• Reintroducing Randomness and personal discovery: authentic travel, investing in “Experiences”

• Digital Content and Interaction: travel content (images, stories, videos) will continue to be valuable allowing experiences to take place before and after travel, as well as for those who are not traveling.

• Positive Aging: Boomers and Beyond will become and acceptable face of experiential travel
  

• Desire for real engagement/objects: Going there, meeting people, tasting foods, hiking trails “real vs virtual” travel.

Several years ago I was in Africa for work and decided to climb Kilimanjaro before returning home. I have a small walking/hiking tour company and though I don’t offer Killi many of the guests who have trekked with me in Peru and Patagonia asked what I thought about the trek, what route I would recommend and if I thought they could do it.

A friend/tour operator of mine offered to assist and thus I arrive in Moshi having done only minimal research on the route and none on the ground operator. I’ll leave off the specifics, as it isn’t really relevant. Suffice to say they had a word in their name that involved eco/green/responsible/sustainable…the terms that consumers think should mean something but aren’t exactly sure what that is.

Around the second day into the trek I asked the guide “so, your company name is X-green company, what do you actually do to support Green, Eco, Responsible, Sustainable Travel?”  He looked at me as if no one had ever asked the question…clearly they hadn’t asked him….and replied “well, we pick up garbage along the trail”. Humm, Ok, well, I guess that is a commitment….but it wasn’t.  As far as I could see over the next several days neither the guide nor porters picked up any excess trash though they did remove the trash we made.

When I returned to Moshi having successfully summited Kilimanjaro I spent a day with the owner and had an extensive conversation about the trek.  I asked him what the vision for his company was, how he was sharing this vision with both his staff and his guests, and how he might be able to both monitor and execute his vision which did involve the words he choose in his company name.

What I’ve learned over the past few years is that companies and travelers need to understand what eco/green/sustainable/responsible means to them and then explore what piece of this they are personally most passionate about. This might be employing local guides, using regional food and recipes, focusing on green building techniques, protecting endangered species or minority groups, or any of dozens of other initiatives which fall within the umbrella of green travel.  They then need to consistently integrate this into their brand message —online (through their website, social media, confirmation documents etc) and offline (through their guides, office staff, partners and guests and ultimately through the experiences offered).

It is no longer a question of “what do our customers care about in terms of green travel?” (because we will write that in our marketing materials),  the new question is “what do you care about? What are you passionate about in regards to green travel? What inspires you?”. If you are unsure, work with your team, and possibly a coach or advisor, to figure out what vision you can all buy into and support.

Customers like to engage with companies (and people) who are passionate about something…it doesn’t necessarily have to be exactly what they themselves are passionate about.

So….here are a few questions, think about them in relation to Green, Eco, Responsible, Sustainable Travel

• What’s inspires you? Your staff? The community around you?
• What commitment do you make that inspiration? Is it measurable?
• How do you share your commitment?
• How does it fit into your “brand”
• How does this contribute to sustainable, responsible development?
• Is this inspiration integrated throughout the experience? Does it need to be?
• How do you know share this with guest and partners? Do you need to?
• How do you know if you have been successful?
• What would success look like?
• How to involved your guests, staff , communities and partners  in “live audits”

I have two friends heading to Madrid this week (their first trip).  My experiences in this fantastic city are a bit dated so I reached out to my friends on Facebook with this question…

“Madrid recommendations, anyone? anyone? I can’t believe this well traveled group has nothing to say about eating or drinking in Madrid ”

Here’s what I received back….thought it was worth publishing and updating this list

• El Botin…Hemingway’s favorite,…suckling pig inside the old fireplace  There is a great little place in the Plaza Mayor – one of the oldest restaurants in town. Maria Elena Price

• Even better than the expensive Botin is “En Busca del Tiempo” which is a little bar/restaurant that has amazing tablas and wine. Look it up on google maps. Very much a locals favorite. Mary Camacho
  

• Madrid is great – just do a little detective work, and you can’t go wrong, plenty of great food and cheap vino. Chueca for non-tourist shopping and eats. We went to a great little Peruvian restaurant. Madrid is like NYC – made up of neighborhoods, each with very different personality, so try to explore as many as you can, not just the Plaza Mayor tourist area, which is also fun. Julie Conover
  

• La Bola Restaurant, very famous in madrid then Fuencarral and Chueca place is perfect for drinking and shooping. And do you remenber La Vera is very near to Madrid 2 hours for any thing! Luis Yanes

• Foodies Guide To Madrid << a friend of mine designed this itinerary. HEAVEN. Andrew Hayes

• Kathy, you have to visit the ‘Museo del Jamon‘, just off Plaza Puerta del Sol. It’s a local’s cafe and everyone takes a paper napkin with their sandwich and then throws it on the floor with great aplomb! Not a designated tourist attraction but one I would recommend for a laugh! Stevie Christie

• Museum of Ham! (Museo del Jamon, Carrera de San Jeronimo 6) In reality a cool bar where office workers congregate to chill out before going home. Charles Rhind

…and by Direct Message I received these recommendations

La finca de susana,
Arlaban 4, Madrid 28014
Tel: 91 369 35 57

Public Restaurant
Desengano 11, Madrid 28004
(Pres de Pl del Callao)

Ginger
Plaza del Angel 12
28012 Madrid
Tel:91 369 10 59
(Near plaza del sol)

La Gloria de Montera
Caballero de Gracia 10
28013 Madrid
Tel: 91 523 44 07

The most daunting trade route in the world, passing through the mightiest mountain range on Earth, the Ancient Tea and Horse Caravan Road linked the fertile emerald teas of Yunnan and Sichuan to the arid landscapes of the Tibetan Plateau, serving as a vital route for isolated tribes who referred to it as the “Eternal Road.” Remaining a virtual mystery to the West for over a millennium, the Road, its history and cultures are now at long last revealed in all of its stunning diversity.

I joined Jeff Fuchs,  the first westerner to have ever traveled the entire 5,000-kilometer (3,100-mile) route, on a trip to Yunnan retracing portions of the Road, sampling teas at their origin and studying the road’s impact on ethnic minority villagers, on Wild China’s shorter journey which allowed me to experience the trail:  Retracing the Ancient Tea & Horse Caravan Trail: Yunnan

Photos of our Journey:

Southwest China Adventure

Exploring remote villages and trail of Yunnan and Guizhou provinces (07.11.2010, 139 Photos)

Social Media, Technology and Transparency

My friend Everett Potter asked for a few predictions for 2010. Have a look at his post and what other industry folks think is ahead.

Kathy’s Travel Industry Predictions for 2010

Customer-centric: the customer will become the sales force, product developers, service centers and resolution managers for companies. Those companies who offer creative tools to enable this will see success. This will occur both online and offline.

Social Media: will be a game changer. Tour providers will invest in developing and implementing social media strategies. Those who embrace, interact, listen and share will see significant changes in customer retention, referral bookings, and resolution/customer satisfaction. Facebook will lead the consumer interaction, twitter will lead the pr, mobile devices will lead content sharing. Get Satisfaction and Trip Advsior will continue to navigate reviews and resolution.

Curators will Rule: too much noise, too much information, and too many people talking become increasingly overwhelming. In order to make decisions people will rely on people/sites they trust in the travel space (and in all decision making). Blogs, travel bloggers, twitter leaders and niche vertical sites will gain exposure and influence as they turn down the volume.

Technology will Enable: Live content, original, interesting, authentic content, interactive maps, new mobile apps, and rich media will be king.

The Sandbox will be broken: new technology and innovation will break the old sandbox where companies that do business in a certain way are thought of as leaders. Authentic, agile, innovative individuals will trump large companies and years in business.

Specialization vs Expansion: Niche Tour Operators will gain exposure and success. Consumers will be looking and able to find smaller companies who offer exactly what they are looking for.

Distribution: Niche Tour providers will increasingly distributed their products and content across new platforms and to new sites. The egocentric silos of personal websites and brochures will become only part of the real-estate content and data live on. There will be a consistent data structure and understanding of API and data feeds.

Collaboration vs Exclusivity: success will come through working together between multiple entities travelers, tour operators, destination management companies, tourism boards.

Transparency vs Selective Sharing: Information, links and reviews of hotels, routes, guides, restaurants will all be open. Consumers will know who is actually operating tours and what levels/values are involved. The line between incoming tour operators and outgoing will continue to blur.

Experiences will Drive Itineraries: Travelers will continue to search out authentic experience, unique/boutique accommodations, passionate personalities and cutting-edge destinations for new stories they can re-tell  for a lifetime.  Destinations will blur, people and community will become more memorable as we search out quality off-line engagement.

My friend Greg Berry at nuance intelligence asked that I comment on his recent post:  Ethical Travel I’m not sure I offered anything towards the solution of our massive travel footprint but it allowed me a venue to post some thoughts. Thanks Greg.

Meeting new friends in Jordan

Across the globe there are countless initiatives being discussed to address travel, air travel specifically, and climate change. Recent numbers I have read are that tourism trade accounts for 5% of the World’s CO2 Emissions.  If you allow for a second lens, tourism employees 10% of the worlds economy. Tourism infuses money into poor economies. Travel encourages protection of natural environments and finally, travel leads to understanding.

The reality is most travelers fall into two distinct categories. Those traveling for “vacation”-pleasure, education, adventure, experiences etc (we will include travelers taking part in National Geographic Tours private Jet Tours (!?) and those traveling for work.  Both groups are less likely to be focused on this discussion that we “conscious” readers are.

Challenges:
Consumers traveling for vacation purposes are not interested in feeling guilty about their travels. They’re on holiday! They want to enjoy their experience which includes using plush towels and wonderful bath products. It is a luxury they often don’t have at home.  Many argue correctly that the “towel” issues is much more about how the the hotels wash their linens than about how guests use them.  That’s followed by airline and hotel recycling programs etc etc. Good overview of what is all really means here.

Business Travelers are far more interested in convenience. For all of us who travel for a living I think it is safe to say that airline travel has lost any mystery and excitement it may once have had. The very thought of an airport is now worse than the fear of visiting the dentist.  Anything that makes this journey to our destination easier and less unpleasant will be used. Business travelers are focused on getting in and out with as little personal headaches as possible. Public transportation to/from airports is neither convenient nor well communicated.  Trying to negotiate rail and bus options is complicated enough for the budget traveler and even cities such as NY and Chicago have done a poor job.

Positive Steps:
Vacations: Tour Providers/Companies who have taken the initiatives (offsetting the carbon footprint of the ground portion of the tour) take the first step in educating and encouraging travelers to offset their flights.  Many “tour providers” carefully choose locally owned properties and restaurants and hire regional guides, all of which encourage an overall understanding and connection with the destination. I believe that future political and ethical decisions a traveler makes when NOT traveling will be based on these experiences.  Post travel we tend to read, shop, listen to and engage in topics that touch on a destination we have been to very differently than when we merely read about an issue in a far off destination. The Middle East and Africa are good examples.

Corporations who initiate green travel policies and wield enough status to encourage “green” rental fleets and “green” hotels partners are a start.  It will be interesting to see if this can translate into preferred carriers such as Virgin America‘s who’s young fleet of planes are arguably very efficient in both fuel consumption and emissions. Cities focused on ease of public transportation are improving their methods of communication via tools and applications which live on handheld devices.  Yes, booking connecting bus or rail connections when our planes land, knowing when the next local bus is due to arrive and various “share a ride” applications will become increasingly popular and used…once they touch interfaces, specifically mobile phones, and work.

Bottom Line: Meeting and collaborating using technology is effective up to a point in many but not all circumstances.  Face, real face, to face meetings, discussions and SHARED EXPERIENCES are invaluable to many of us.

Beyond reducing your carbon footprint: How about increasing the value of your footprint?

What if we started to think how the travels that we must or choose to make could have a more positive impact? I believe that conference, meeting, corporate travel planners AND individual travelers have a responsibility to make travel worthwhile.  “Offsetting” travel, even an entire conference, is not enough.  I’ve attended far too many conferences held at the Ohare and Orlando airports. I contribute little to nothing to the local economy and leave with little to no understanding of the destination I have just “stepped on”.  Green Conferences are becoming big business for destinations. Moving conferences to smaller venues which represent a destination (like the Chicago Cultural Center at which the GoodandGreen.biz conference is held) Being informed and encouraged to sleep, eat and shop local as well as incorporating these features into the conference venue, and making these choices easier, affordable, and demanded will increase adoption.  Eating room service in front of our computer or the TV is far too common for most business travelers, especially women who may be less inclined to venture out on their own for a meal or a morning run without the information and support of the concierge or hotel staff. Recommending and featuring hotels that embrace local/natural/organic within their walls and even encouraging taking an extra day to experience the destination may not reduce our carbon footprint but may offer some level of a positive exchange. Understanding a destination and the people who make up these communities has the potential for global value.

Would love to hear your thoughts on how to increase the value of our global footprint.

Still traveling, Kathy

Tuscany Hiking and Culinary Adventure

Today the word “Adventure” is synonymous with the term “Experiential” and the Adventure Travel Industry has expanded to include everything from golf, fly fishing, safari, yoga and other “soft”/”active” trips to culinary, wine, small ship expeditions, cultural heritage, language immersion, villa rentals, photography and volunteer tours. Even brands like Disney (“Adventures by Disney”) and Royal Caribbean are choosing the word “Adventure” while clearly targeting a boomer market group. But this isn’t new. It’s always been boomers who connected to the world through experience and it is only fitting that today the 50-70 year old “Prime Time Traveler” is driving unheard of growth in all categories of experiential travel.

Let’s face it, if you are a boomer under the age of 50 it’s likely you’re still working, raising a family, dealing with or planning for college, and in debt. I don’t know anyone in my age bracket (late stage boomers) who isn’t incredibly busy.  We’re more likely to be spending our precious “vacation” time visiting family spread across the country; escaping on a quick girl-friends get-away with our friends, mother or sister; splurging on a pampered spa weekend alone or with a partner; or, rarely, taking an all inclusive no-brainer Caribbean or Mexico vacation. It isn’t that we don’t love or dream of travel but our time and finances is extremely limited.

Looking at the other end of the market, around the age of 70 (sometimes sooner) our health starts to deteriorate and we often become more fearful of what might happen in an unfamiliar environment.  Cruises and resorts still fit the bill, however, in general this population likely is vacationing closer to home and spending more time with family.

Why the explosion?
Time to Start Living: Kids are out of the house, early retirement, part-time work options, second careers, are being considered.  Life is their oyster and Prime Timers are ready to start living for themselves and enjoying the fruits of their labor. There is a sense of urgency to live and travel NOW as they see friends and parents dealing with chronic illness.

Two years ago I worked  with Eons.com to develop a travel area of this destination site the 50+.   Assessing Eons members “LifeDreams” it’s clear that Travel occupied the top place and the 50+ are ready to start living their dreams.  Experiential Travel offers the opportunity to combine Travel with other LifeDreams (volunteer, spend time with friends and family, learn to cook etc). Creating a site that allows users to easily search by desired experiences, rather than just destination, was a natural implementation to fit this need.

Investing in Experiences: this age bracket is in the simplifying stage. They generally have enough or too much “stuff” (although investing in a 2nd or 3rd property is still enticing).  Today they’re taking regional cooking classes at the culinary institute and learning Italian.  They enjoy visiting the farmers markets as much to meet the farmers and small producers as to purchase fresh vegetables.  Rather than just writing a check, they are volunteering in their local community both for non-profits and offering their time and skills to entrepreneurs. They are taking control of their heath by learning about and purchasing natural and organic foods and have developed an increased interest in the culture of food worldwide.  They are more active; joining walking groups & targeted health clubs, training for fundraising rides and walks. Along the way they’re meeting new, like minded, friends, reconnecting with themselves and their partner.  Prime Timer’s are optimistic, interested, intersting and engaged.

Trips of a lifetime: Traveling to China, Africa, Argentina or even Italy takes on new meaning as we mature. We may return again, but it is more likely this will be our only or last visit. Prime Time Travelers are willing to invest time and money in seeing and experiencing as much as they can while they are there and they crave the best and most authentic experiences. They are likely to sign up for additional extensions or excursions, upgrade to rooms with views and fly business or first class and spend extra nights before or after the tour enjoying the departure city.  Time is short.  The “Cheapest” package is of no more interest than finding the cheapest cardiac surgeon to most and frankly a discount is of less interest than a value add (axe the fruit basket and add a guided city tour or locally made souvenir).  You can also bet that a “Trip-of-a-lifetime” might be researched online, but will be booked over the phone after speaking with a knowledgeable staff member or, better yet, a past guest.

Treading Softly: Global Connection & Concern:
Geotourism is a term recently defined by National Geographic as “tourism that sustains or enhances the geographical character of a place—its environment, culture, aesthetics, heritage, and the well being of its residents”. You might remember Eco Tourism was a buzz in the 90’s. The new term aligns EcoTourism, Green Tourism, Travelers Philanthropy, and Sustainable Travel. Basically,  how we go, where we go, why we go, what we do while we are there, and what we do when we return, all matter.  From offsetting a trips carbon footprint to choosing tour operators who stay at local lodges, hire local guides, recycle and purchase local foods to creating or investing in non-profits in the areas they travel these features all are becoming a priority for well traveled PrimeTimers who were alive and active in the 60’s. They are also willing to pay a bit more to companies who have made these commitments.

What Experiences are Hot and Why

VolunTourism:
Volunteer Vacations are no longer made up of teenagers sleeping on the floor of a local school at night and working during the day. Today 50+ year olds swarm to projects around the world including teaching English in Xian China, conserving frescos in Italy, counting sea turtle eggs in the Great Barrier Reef.   What is different? Prime Time Travelers require a higher level of comfort (simple hotels or homestays are often appropriate) & consideration for health and medical needs.  They also often want a shorter program (1-2 weeks) and frequently add language immersion program prior to the volunteer project and cultural/natural tour the area after the project.

Intergenerational Travel
As they clean out the homes of their elderly parents they swear not to put their own children through this.  They tire of buying presents for kids and grandkids who have everything or don’t hesitate to buy it for themselves. With busy lives the solution to get together has now become the family reunions…it just looks quite a bit different than it did 40 years ago.  Today family vacations are intergenerational and often take place not at Grandma’s house but at a Dude Ranch in Colorado, a villa in Tuscany, a ship in Alaska, or under the Serengeti Stars on Safari.

Learning
Prime Timer’s are interested in taking their passions on the road.  Why not learn to cook IN Italy, Photograph Polar Bears IN the Artic, Speak Spanish IN Guatemala, or Paint IN Santa Fe.

Active & Adventure: walking, cycling, golfing, yoga vacations are filled with active 50+ folks. Daily options addressing a variety of fitness levels,  guiltless enjoyment of local food and wine, bragging rights of completing the Inca trail or cycling through Ireland still top cocktail stories.

Culture & Nature: connecting with traditional cultures and the natural environment, especially those most vulnerable to extinction, continue to drive unheard of travel to destinations like Bhutan, Myanmar, Antarctica & Kilimanjaro. Vietnam, Japan and Germany are attractive to this age group for historical reasons.”

Within the travel industry the importance of “Women’s Travel” is often confused.  Women hold a, agruably THE,  leading position in the viability of travel and tourism products.

Slovenia Women's Adventure

Women as Decision Makers

Depending on whose research you review, women influence between 88 and 92% of all travel decisions.  period (should I write that again?)

She is behind the final decision for all family vacations, romantic get-aways, adventure weeks.  She controls the purse-string though she might not be making the final booking.  She makes decisions based on different variables that men.  She wants to know about the experience; how it will make her feel, how it will make her life easier (you’ve done all the planning and picked the perfect hotels, there are options for her kids, you can accommodate her husbands food allergies etc), who she will meet along the trail…she wants the picture rather than the minute by minute details.

She has a high bullshit meter and purchases from companies she has established trust with.  She wants to be asked questions about her needs and she likes to work with people who listen.  She researches travel online but then looks to her friends to tell her who they have traveled with and where they have been.  She’s looking for the perfect solution…and they want to be surprised and delighted that you have thought of something they haven’t.

To providers this may seem like a fairly straightforward introduction…but it is amazing how many brochures, websites,  tour itineraries, confirmation packets, photos, trade-show booths etc are NOT targeting women.  Having been in the industry for over 20 years I would bet that most companies in-house staff is made up predominately of women.   Has every piece you send out to potential clients been honestly reviewed by them?  Who is training your ground staff beyond “guiding” to address how to integrate these needs and desires into the itinerary.

Last but certainly not least, we should address Word Of Mouth Marketing.  In general, women are part of a much larger social community than men are.  We surround ourselves with diverse groups…other couples, women’s book groups, moms play groups, walking/running friends, professional networks. We are part of a huge web are always sharing tidbits of insider knowledge to help others.  Yes, if we like (or don’t like) the trip or company we have just traveled with we will tell EVERYONE.

Women as “Travelers”:
In the late 80’s and early 90’s women’s tours were put in a corner which most adventure travel companies as well as guests were uncomfortable with.  Were “Women Only”  really just another word for Lesbian Trips?  If we had group of women traveling together on our trips, what was their relationship? If two women booked a trip together, were they a couple?

The fact was that during this time, a fair portion of companies targeting “women only” were targeting the lesbian community, while an emerging group of entrepreneurs were simply realizing the growing market of women interested in traveling with other women.

As the industry came of age in the late 90’s and had “softened” a bit (offering more options to suite a wider range of physical abilities, staying at properties with private baths, focusing on local culture interaction and environmental education…renaming trips from “Hiking” to “walking”, focusing on food) we saw astounding growth in the industry.  The demographics had changed from trips being made up predominately of men in their 30’s to couples in their 40’s and 50’s and singles, mostly women, of all ages, eager to take part in an adventure without the concern of security or the need for a traveling companion.

In the beginning of the century “women’s only” tour companies were popping up in every niche (yoga, culinary, skiing, Sailing etc) and major tour operators began testing out “women’s only” departures.  Similar to the “family tour” bandwagon, there was little thought of why, where and when women choose women-only departures.

What we have found through the fallout of canceled departures is what we, as adventure seeking women, have always known, we are constantly changing.  We  gravitate towards “women’s only” trips to learn a new skill, especially one which involves a new sport or physical challenge, as we enjoying being in a supportive women’s only learning environment.  We are likely to take Goal Trips, like trekking the inca trail or climbing Kilimanjaro with other women.  We LOVE to get away with our girlfriends and this section of the market is only beginning to tap into this annual event.  We are also wives, mothers, girlfriends,  individuals who enjoy the company of the other sex.  We like traveling with our husband or partner, with couples, and, if we are single, in groups that have other solo travelers as well as couples.  Most of us are not “women-only” travelers, we are “sometimes women-only travelers”…it is or prerogative

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