There is no doubt about it, Australians certainly love to travel. If you travel overseas you will invariably bump into an Aussie, no matter where you travel. And Australian baby boomers are increasingly amongst the throng of overseas travellers. Are you, by any chance, one of the many Aussie baby boomers enjoying travel?
It is said baby boomers prefer to do things their way. Baby boomers have often been portrayed as a generation of optimism, exploration and achievement. Historically, baby boomers have lived through, and experienced, many social changes and are likely to shake up perceptions of what retirees enjoy and expect in regard to travel and retirement lifestyle choices.
Baby boomers – the lucky generation?
Many say baby boomers are the lucky generation. And this is hard to argue. For instance, baby boomers generally:
- commenced work as soon as they left school
- remained employed throughout their working years
- own their home. Some even own an investment home/s – which have dramatically increased in value in recent years
- downsize their home to gain cash flow
- have invested in superannuation plans
- have gained, or expect to gain, a significant inheritance
Yet, many baby boomers would say they have:
- worked hard and saved money throughout their working life
- been thrifty and not wasted money
Baby boomers are retiring
Currently many baby boomers are retiring, or are on the verge of retiring. With retirement baby boomers have time to travel. As well, many have high purchasing power. For many of these baby boomers the number one thing they want to do is travel. With good health, no dependent children or work responsibilities; travel is a very real option.
The travel bucket lists are many and varied. Some baby boomers travel to:
- visit family
- to attend family celebrations – weddings, significant birthdays etc
- visit where they grew up
- visit where their family originated from (Australia has such a multicultural population)
- tick of the long standing dream of the big bucket list trip
- or simply enjoy more travel and explore different destinations
Overseas travel destinations for Australian Travellers
Here is a glimpse at popular choices and travel destinations for Australian Travellers
Australian Bureau of statistics – overseas arrivals and departures Australia Dec 2016
- New Zealand remains the most popular destination for Australian travellers. If you haven’t been to New Zealand, put it on your travel list.
- Indonesia (Bali included) has recorded the strongest growth. We visited Bali recently. And let me tell you, Bali is very popular with the baby boomer generation.
- The 2016 statistics show more and more Australians aged 60 and over are travelling overseas.
- According to the data 17.2% of all short term departures from Australia are people aged 60 years and over. This figure is up from 13.4% in 2006.
Retirees Enjoying Travel – Popular Travel Options Include:
- A big lap of Australia – caravanning, camping, grey nomading
- package tours – in Australia and overseas
- river and ocean cruising – This travel sector is quickly expanding and offers those less mobile people with increased travel choices
- train tours – such as The Ghan & the Indian Pacific, the Canadian Rockies, the Tran-Siberian….
- House sitting – within Australia and internationally
- Adventure – exploring the less travelled destinations
The statistics tell the story. More and more Australians are travelling overseas. While not all retirees are able to travel, the number of people 60 and over continues to rise. With retirement, many baby boomers are revelling in their new found freedom. For those all cashed up, and enjoying good health, travel is high on the retirement list of things to do.
The travel industry is responding to the needs of the over 60 traveller. The growth in the cruising industry, and the number of people 60 and over enjoying cruising, is a testament to how important this niche is in the travel market.
The options for many Australian retirees enjoying travel are endless. Australia is a huge country, and there is so much to see in our backyard. For those retirees enjoying travel around Australia, they can take their time. This in itself help keep the cost of travel down.
Then there are overseas travel adventures. Many baby boomers are ticking off their overseas travel bucket lists. And more and more baby boomers are choosing the road less travelled. With retirement, the world is truely the retiree’s oyster.
Are you a baby boomer with the travel bug? What is your favourite travel destination? What choices do you think baby boomers are making in regard to travel and their retirement lifestyle? In what ways, if any, do you think baby boomers are doing things differently in their retirement. How important do you think travel has become for retired baby boomers?
Please join in the conversation. We would love to hear your thoughts.
Wishing you safe and happy travels
From Estelle and Greg – Retirees Enjoying Travel
I think it’s great that there are so many options today if you love to travel…you can choose anything from intermittent vacations to being on the go all the time! New Zealand is high on my list of travel destinations…it looks so stunning. I would love to do a river cruise in Europe as well! Great article, Estelle!
Thank you so very much for your comments Dhara. I love that there are so many travel options avaialable these days for so many people. Back a number of decades travel was only an option for the wealthy. New Zealand is simply stunning. Both islands are very beautiful, but the South Island is breathtaking & our favourite. The North Island has a greater Maori influence, which adds to the tourist experience. Europe is definitely on my bucket list. I can’t wait (but will have to) until I visit Europe again. We will be visiting the USA this coming April. But such a huge country & we will only be there for 5 weeks. And part of this time we will be travelling with family. But whatever we see will be a bonus, and we are excited for April. In the meantime we will enjoy seeing more of Australia. My apologies for my slow reply Dhara.
I’m a baby boomer who loves to travel. So far overseas, but I hope to do more travel within Australia in retirement. I found your blog on Sizzling Towards 60. Will definitely visit again
Thank you Jennifer for dropping by and leaving a comment. Good luck with exploring retirement travel options in Australia. We totally recommend travel in Australia as so many beautiful travel destinations and fun experiences to enjoy.
I certainly fall into this category of booming travel lovers! So many places to go and options on how to travel. Hubby dearest and I have just been through a loooong consideration of whether we should buy a little campervan and become part of the grey nomad tribe for a time. Ahh – the pain of decision making, my most recent of blog posts in fact.
Thank you so much Chris for dropping by and leaving a comment. Yes there are so many places to see and options of how to travel. And I relate to your ahh, as we have been planning our trip to the USA in April. So I most definitely have experienced the Ahhhh – the pain of decision making in regard to this trip. Whereas, as grey nomads we simply make decisions as we go. But the life of grey nomads is not for everyone. I will check out your blog post and see what thoughts I might be able to offer.
wonderful post well written great