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Canada
77% of Canadian baby boomers feel more adventurous than their parents

Mis en ligne le 07/03/2007

More and more boomers choose remote and exotic destinations to travel rather than the traditional bus tours of the United States and Europe. The "backpackers with gold cards" want more one-off experiences, to discover new lifestyles in Africa or Andes. More boomers are going overseas because international travel has become more accessible than it was a generation ago.

Anne and Bob White have ridden camels in Libya, browsed souks in Syria and travelled the ancient Silk Road from Beijing to Istanbul. The countries the adventurous Calgary couple has backpacked through are not on most travellers' checklists, but the Whites aren't your typical mass tourists. They thrive on immersing themselves in little-explored locales, meeting people from far-flung lands and glimpsing lifestyles alien to most North Americans.
The Whites are both 59, and part of a growing number of baby boomers who eschew traditional post-retirement destinations, turning their gaze instead toward the planet's distant corners. They're trading bus tours of the United States and Europe for safaris in Africa or llama treks through the Andes.
A recent Leger Marketing online survey found 77 per cent of Canadian baby boomers say they're more adventurous in their travel choices than their parents were. Almost half (44 per cent) say they're travelling to more exotic destinations than they were a decade ago. And when they arrive, 52 per cent say they're more likely to engage in activities from scuba diving to zip-lining, instead of just lying on a beach.
More boomers are going overseas because international travel has become more accessible than it was a generation ago, says Simon Hudson, associate professor of tourism marketing at the University of Calgary. "What's driving it, I suppose, is the 'been there, done that' syndrome," Hudson says. "People are looking for more one-off experiences." This push has created what Hudson calls "backpackers with gold cards" -- adventurous boomers who can afford to book expensive, small-group tours in Asia or Africa, with limited hand-holding by guides.

(Vancouver Sun, "More boomers up for adventure vacations", 02/10/07)

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