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Older tourists but with lower average expenditure



Over 1.2 billion nights were spent in vacation time all over the world in 2014 by older tourists aged 65 or older living in the European Union. This accounted for 20% of the tourism activity in 2015 by EU residents (Finchannel.com, 3 October 2016). Hence vacations still attract older tourists but with lower average expenditure.

Although they accounted for 20% of the tourism activity their share in tourism expenditure was lower at 16% of all tourism expenditure. On average a tourist aged 65 or older spent €52.60 per day in 2014, which is €12.70 less than the average tourist.

The proportion of people, aged 65 or older, in terms of tourism nights was highest for residents of Fance and Cyprus, who accounted for about 25% of all tourism nights in 2014, as well as the Czech Republic, Greece, and Sweden (all at 24%), followed by Ireland and Portugal (both 23%). The least proportion of tourism nights for people aged 65 or older were by residents of Malta (9% of all tourism nights), Bulgaria, Latvia and Slovenia (all 10%) and Estonia (11%).

In general, older tourists prefer domestic holidays, which accounted for about 66% of their tourism nights, which is more than all other tourists (at 59%). Those favouring domestic holidays most were residents of Spain (94%) and Greece (92%), followed by those in the Czech Republic and Romania (both 89%), and Italy and Portugal (both 88%). However, residents of Luxembourg (99%), Belgium (91%) and Malta (82%) went abroad in 2014.
In EU Member States, tourists aged 65 or older who spent the most were residents from Luxembourg (€120.80 per day) and Austria (€106.90 per day), followed by Malta (€93.70 per day), Belgium (€89.50 per day), Ireland (€88.00 per day) and Denmark (€85.10 per day). Residents of the Czech Republic spent less (at €13.70 per day), followed by Romania (€13.80, Greece (€18.00), Lithuania (€19.10) and Hungary (€19.20).
For all EU Member States, except Belgium, the average expenditure per night by people aged 65 or older was lower than the overall average of other age groups. However, tourist expenditure is dependant upon the duration of the holidays, and by the proportion of holidays spent in second homes or during off-peak seasons, hence the expenditure figures are only a guide.

MARTINA NICOLLS is an international aid and development consultant, and the author of:- The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Sudan Curse (2009).


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