The Voices of Older Women tourists . Tourism recreation Research .

Despite developments in the field of gender and tourism studies over the past ten years, there are noticeable gaps in the knowledge base. While the voices of women as tourists have begun to be heard, the voices of older women tourists have remained silent. Tourism studies have followed social trends in marginalizing this age group. This paper reports a study which was conducted on older women and their holiday experiences over the life course. Tourist experiences offer opportunities for what has been termed, the Ulyssean adult. From the supply side, it is advisable for the tourism industry to hear the voices of older women. The potential of this market is well documented.