Group Sees Boom in Travelers Older Than 55

The hospitality and travel industry should expect to see the number of travelers 55 years and older increase considerably within the next several years as the baby boom generation--the largest domestic travel demographic--begins to hit late middle age, according to a Travel Industry Assn. of America report. The TIA found that in 1999, travelers 55 and older took nearly 179 million domestic and international trips, a 5% increase for the same age group in 1994. Average spending rose 10% to $431 per trip, excluding transportation costs. The TIA report also said that “mature travelers” in 1999 tended to be wealthier, better educated and more technology-savvy than their counterparts five years earlier.