Senior Travel
More than 81 million Americans seniors plan to travel in 2008 and are collectively estimated to spend $126 billion on their next trip, according to the AARP.
Utah-based tour director Doreen Barnes, who leads groups of seniors ranging in age from 55 to over 90, says senior travel is booming, and the travel industry has stepped up to the plate to ensure their special needs are met. "Seniors these days are younger," she says. "When you get to be our age, you don't want things. You have enough stuff around the house." Experiences-meeting people, learning, and exploring-are what they want, Barnes says.
"Some of our people do take oxygen. We always encounter some walkers and occasionally a wheelchair, and we're happy to accommodate anybody on our trips," says Barnes, who is 76. Many of her clients receive some elder assistance from a child or friend.
This article continues at Senior Travel.