The Impact of Ageing on the Tourism Industry: An Approach to the Senior Tourist Profile. Social Indicators Research

The elderly population presents a market of particular relevance to a large number of industries for its high purchasing power, comparatively higher than younger groups. this paper aims to identify the main characteristics of the senior consumers for the tourism industry, through three main objectives. The first one is focused on the tendency to travel; the second one is based on the motivation, pull and push factors; and finally, the travel characteristics of Spanish seniors. Research findings showed that there are differences between travelers and non-travelers, depending on sociodemographic characteristics and previous travel experience, where the main reasons provided for not travelling included economic status and health.