In a bid to further understand the mid-life adventurer mindset, leading escorted touring provider TTC Tour Brands, comprising of Contiki, Costsaver, Trafalgar, Insight Vacations and Luxury Gold, recently conducted a Big Tour Study with over 1,000 UK past escorted touring customers, to uncover their holiday plans and buying mindset for 2023 and beyond.
From the demand for specialist and premium touring to an all-inclusive mindset, here are the top 5 key insights TTC Tour’s Big Tour Study uncovered from the 50+ age bracket (79% of the respondents):
- Happy to spend and looking for premium experiences – the findings demonstrated that cost of living does not have an impact on the budget for the 50+ traveller, with only a small amount (12%) considering budget tours and the average travel budget being a healthy £3,357 per person. Travellers are also favouring more premium tours, with over half of travellers considering a tour that had premium offerings, such as many inclusions and 4-5 star hotels.
- Hassle-free travel still a top priority – Of those surveyed, 65% said that escorted tours take the hassle out of planning a holiday and over half stated they helped them to budget effectively, with just under half saying that they see tour organisers as the experts (46%). This desire for ease and simplicity is still a key selling factor for touring vs self-guided holidays.
- Touring and all-inclusive top holiday choices – when looking at comparative holiday options for those surveyed, the next top choice for travellers was an all-inclusive holiday, with 46% considering this as a holiday choice as well as touring. This suggests the two varying holiday types can still have appeal to the same customer, a benefit for agents who can offer the two options alongside each other, even more so knowing that over half of this audience (52%) likely to be influenced into buying a holiday from reading a travel brochure.
- Bucket list still king – an overwhelming 72% of tourers prioritise sightseeing/bucket list tours in the next 12 months, and over half of the tourers (59%) are looking to explore places they normally wouldn’t explore on their own, as well as 51% significantly more likely to consider specialist tours* than younger tourers. The 50+ traveller is also considering 5.5 locations on average per tour, with Europe as their preferred region.
- Planning in pairs and online first – 65% of the over 50’s surveyed plan their travels with their partner with only a small number considering solo travel (16%). They are planning primarily online via tour operator websites (63%), however, in-person expertise is still highly valued with 28% saying travel agency visits have influenced their booking decisions.
“We strive to create the most knowledgeable and resourceful agent community in the industry and continue to identify ways to better support our partners in their business, said Kelly Jackson, Managing Director TTC Tour Brands EMEA. “This comprehensive annual study will continuously demonstrate what the thousands of TTC tour travellers seek in their travel experience and serve as an asset for advisors, arming them with the insights they need to make the sale.”
“Beyond knowing the in’s-and-out’s of each brand and itinerary, understanding traveller sentiment and purchase consideration is crucial information that our agents need in their pockets to personally pair each traveller with the right travel experience for them – from premium to value, luxury or special interest,” said Jackson.
The wider study included all age groups from 18+ and also found that people are looking to book their tour soon, with 61% looking to book a tour in the next 6 months before travel or sooner, and 55% of tourers are looking to travel in the next 12 months. Deposits were also key, with 70% of short-term bookers preferring to pay a deposit to reserve, then pay the rest later.
Comments are closed.