People in the 50-plus age bracket are showing an increasing interest in travel, according to a new survey conducted by AARP, a non-profit campaign group for older people. A survey conducted between 8 November and 2 December 2024, showed a five per cent year-on-year increase in respondents who said they were planning travel in 2025, taking the figure to 70%.
Trip quantity up, fear of inflation down
What’s more, the AARP survey found people had underestimated how many trips they would take during the year. The average number of trips taken in 2024 was 3.9, 0.3 more than the 3.6 predicted. Fear of inflation had gone down by seven per cent to just 20% since the 2023 survey, but cost remains the biggest barrier to travel, with 45% of respondents saying cash outlay is a factor. The expected travel spend “remains steady at $6,847 for 2025 – nearly $200 more than in 2024,” AARP said.
Other barriers in ascending rank order are: family obligations (19%), weather (23%), and health (29%). Of the 17% who said that they would require special physical assistance or accommodations in order to travel, a whopping three quarters cited mobility as the main obstacle. The airport experience is significant here, with a separate AARP report noting that “special ticketing lines, more access to wheelchairs, and special TSA screening lines” would be useful.
Transport choices
Concerns about special needs may explain why the taste for air travel declines with age, according to Lona Choi-Allum, senior consumer insights manager at AARP, who said that older respondents “are more likely to want to travel by personal vehicle as opposed to a plane.” The survey found that half the 70-plus age segment would prefer to travel by personal vehicle, while 42% said they would travel by plane. Those still in the 50-69 age bracket still prefer to fly.
Overall car trips are expected to slump from 49% in 2024 to 43% in 2025. When it comes to rail travel, the US survey shows about a third of 50-plus adults are “somewhat or very likely to travel by train.” Just 13% are planning a trip by bus, and only 7% are planning a cruise.
Domestic and international destination preferences
As for destinations, 44% of respondents said they planned to travel both internationally and domestically. Europe was the top international destination attracting 42% of people, breaking down into Italy (nine per cent), Great Britain (seven per cent), France (five per cent), and Spain (four per cent). Latin America and the Caribbean came second regionally (33%), with Mexico topping the choices there.
Within the US, the southern and western destinations dominated. Florida draws 15% of older travellers followed by California (11%). Las Vegas, New York, and Texas tied in third place at 6 per cent, while Arizona was attractive to four per cent of respondents.
Reasons to travel
Visiting family and friends motivates older travellers more than any other factor, though escaping daily routines and relaxing were also high on the agenda. A vast majority agree that travel has a positive effect on both physical health (85%) and mental health (95%).
Data privacy concerns mean the older segment remains suspicious of using AI to help them plan a trip. In news that confirms the apparent return of the travel agent, 40% of older consumers said they are interested in organized group trips and 55% expressed an interest in someone else curating an itinerary for them.
The AARP survey asked 2,970 U.S. adults aged 18-plus about their travel. Respondents sampled had taken at least one trip within the past two years, defined as at least a two-night stay, 50 miles (80km) or more away from home.
