Travel
2005 Travel & Adventure Report: A Snapshot of Boomers’ Travel & Adventure Experiences
Research Report
Curt Davies, AARP Knowledge Management
October 2005
How do boomers traveling today compare to themselves 20 years ago? In mid-August 2005, AARP surveyed 1,594 boomers age 41 to 59 in order to better understand to which destinations boomers are currently traveling and what they do while there. AARP also wanted to know how adventurous boomers consider themselves and to learn about their travel experiences.
The study found that:
- Compared to 20 years ago when they were ages 21 to 39, a greater percentage of boomers today have a passport (10 percent in 1985 vs. 28 percent in 2005).
- Where less than five percent of boomers traveled to Europe (4 percent), Mexico, Central America or South America (4 percent) or the Caribbean (4 percent) 20 years ago, nearly double that many boomers have traveled to international destinations; 14 percent to Mexico, Central America or South America; 10 percent to the Caribbean. and 7 percent to Europe.
- A majority of boomers consider themselves adventurous (55 percent) and 77 percent consider their own travel experiences more adventurous than their parents'.
Data for this study were collected by Knowledge Networks a national survey research company, from a national sample of adults ages 41 to 59. The survey was conducted between August 24th and 29th, 2005 using Knowledge Networks' web-enabled panel, which provides a representative sample of U.S. households. The author may be contacted at 202-434-6295 for additional information. (12 pages)