For an age group that will continue to increase, solo travel is likely to become even more popular. As their life expectancy extends, society will need to engage in open and honest dialogue with the emerging markets of single and solo over-60s. Their social participation will positively contribute to their well-being, and for an ageing population, this is vital. Public and private enterprises can capitalize on the benefits of solo travel for over-60s by ensuring their outcome standards are welcoming, accessibility and transport corridors are designed with consideration for these markets. These are opportune times for financial investment from women who are part of the over-60 solo traveling group, as they are looking for enriching, satisfying social environments and new experiences that provide all the features of personal discovery and support.
Those who travel solo and are aged 60 and over are part of an emerging tourism demographic. In Australia, the group is commonly identified and targeted by governments as the silver or mature tourism market and is often associated with people who travel for leisure, and alone, without family members or a significant other. Solo travellers over 60 are growing in number and breaking free from age restrictions that ruled earlier eras. The move towards increased longevity and working for longer, seen in the increasing pool of superannuation funds and increased activity of older Australians, have contributed to the process called silver culture. This group is predominantly retired, living on either the pension or their retirement savings, and are well educated. Many have led independent lives, made their own decisions over time, and are likely to have established their own asset portfolio that enables them to travel comfortably. Their skills and capabilities are matured, enabling them to design their ideal holiday.
Health and Wellness Benefits of Solo Travel
To summarize, I promised to eventually tell the truth about solo travel because I have come to believe that being honest and open about my desires, my choices, and my adventures can benefit other women, particularly ones in my own age group. Now that I’ve told some of my stories, however, I realize that they do not constitute the truth about solo travel at all. Of course I have at times traveled because I had to, because no one shared my schedules, or because I simply couldn’t think of anything else to do – and I assume these solo journeys didn’t have anything even remotely to do with living life to its fullest! But, by and large, the truth is that I take solo trips as much because I want to, as because I have to, and this seems critically important. The most important reason to be honest is because solo journeying holds such enormous promise and potential, and so even though it may present some difficulties and obstacles, it remains the most glorious and soul-nourishing way to enrich and enlighten one’s life.
With age, healthcare becomes a more significant portion of personal finances and planning is increasingly more important for both mental and physical health. One of the perks of traveling alone – or traveling at all – is that it gives both the mind and body a chance to loosen up and renew themselves. Traveling provides opportunities to increase physical fitness, explore open spaces and nature, and stimulate the mind; all things conducive to a person’s overall well-being. And important evidence is likewise emerging that single older women are aging without dependence, and a significant minority are even aging optimally – that is, in the absence of frailty and significant depression. Those women who are aging well, moreover, report being happy, enjoying life, and having a sense of control over their lives. I went on a trip like that once – where at the end, I could hardly believe it was over. I think everyone has to go on a journey like that once.
Practical Tips for Safe and Enjoyable Solo Travel
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There are many practical tips that can enhance safe and enjoyable solo travel for all travelers, but especially mature travelers. The following suggestions are derived from guidelines designed for mature travelers published by the Greater Lansing Visitors and Convention Bureau (GLVCB) and the Travelers Century Club. The Travelers Century Club comprises individuals who have traveled to one hundred or more countries and thus represents a widely traveled body of visitors. The suggestions are also based on the author’s experience as a travel consultant for individuals with disabilities. According to Nunez, “Age is not the determinant of a traveler. Solo travelers come in all shapes, colors, and ages. They are single, coupled, divorced, or simply unable to get the time off of work together.”
So you’re now convinced that you should take a solo trip. Great! But, you’ve never done it before, right? It’s amazing how much fear can be a deterring factor in life when ultimately fear is only an emotional response to something we do not know. Here are some tips to help you make the most of this unique life opportunity. You’ve worked for it; now you just have to take it.
Cultural and Personal Enrichment Through Travel
have suggested that older people often need help to take care of their practical problems, such as physical handicaps and the ability to carry out daily living activities. Both are potential difficulties for the elderly during traveling. We will extend their argument and note that it is possible that most of the preceding problems were a product of an attitude of looking at the elderly as patients, not as individuals first. Educational programs are needed that are sensitive to the needs of this older market and are able to effectively promote travel. Knowledge in these areas will enable governmental bodies and organizations that serve older individuals to better provide for these needs. Experience and experimentation will pass judgment on our measures. However, program and product ideas that arise from these and other discussions taking place between parties that have long been ignored in the decision process will provide support for the vitality of this overlooked section of society: individuals over 60.
Human beings are innately curious about their world, but if they spend most of their lives in the same environment, they can easily become bored with it and lose their natural curiosity and zest for living. Traveling fulfills human curiosity and helps satisfy the need for challenge, surprise, and making new discoveries. It introduces people to races, religions, philosophies, and ways of life completely different from their own, preserving humanness in our ever and rapidly changing world. Traveling provides an opportunity for individuals to reassess themselves and their place in the world, thus increasing their overall emotional, cultural, and spiritual growth. found that travel can provide many of the social/psychological benefits that actual relocation provides and may be sufficient for many aging individuals, enabling them to stay in their homes and neighborhoods for a longer period of time, which the World Health Organization and AARP has identified as important in maintaining social networks for late-life well-being.
Community Building and Social Connections During Solo Travel
Some of these programs help under- or unemployed youth, giving them not just a job but increasing their aspirations and expectations. Many groups have charity functions and, with increasing donations from international travelers, are finding ways to make these experiences more interactive and engaging, in addition to being educational, often related to local sites and culture. However, most of these programs are established for already formed groups. The focus of tour organizers has mostly been delivering a product to their customers, and this is for the purpose of deriving profits – not creating or supporting the development of a new community. Would such community programs – or more informal interpersonal relationships between and among travelers – be beneficial to independent travelers as they explore various regions in the US?
For travel packages centered around an experience, location, or activity, many travel advertised as ‘group travel’ is loosely assembled, with people from around the US or world. Tour operators use social media and email to establish shared expectations for their trips, sometimes providing a platform for future travelers to communicate before meet-and-greet events, and maintaining a platform for maintaining connections post-trip. More bespoke travel groupings may evolve more organically and continue after a trip. For travelers coming for a conference or festival, reunions and new relationships evolve. Examples can also be found in cooperative and eco-travel organizations with a strong local component such as Interhostel in Stockholm where travelers get to meet Stockholmers during community center dinners, and can take free walking tours of different neighborhoods led by high school students who are proud of their neighborhood, its history, and architectural beauty, but the students do not expect tips.