Senior Travelers Go Extreme

George Bush, Sr ushered in extreme excursions for senior travel

Travel opportunities today for senior travelers has exploded in new directions.  There was time, not that long ago, when the  senior travel preferred choice  was aboard a large cruise ship. That was when common wisdom pointed to sedentary travel.  Now of course cruise ship travel is still popular for seniors, but older passengers are being supplanted by much younger travelers, spearheaded by the Carnival Cruise line.

So now instead of a one choice fits all, tour organizers are using a different paradigm. Mark Hoffman, of Sports Leisure Travel, a 30 year veteran of the travel industry has discovered that age is only part of the formula that defines senior travel. He says that things are becoming less determined by age and more determined by health, financial capability and just the desire to go.

Case in point, former President George H. Bush, as an adventure traveler, made it a point to jump out of airplanes for adventure. He marked his 75th, 80th and 85th birthday zooming down at 100 mph near  Kennebunkport, Maine. Hoffman says that has sent a signal to other 80 year olds that maybe I can do something that either I didn’t think I could do, or what people told me I couldn’t do.

Now Hoffman sets up trips to Catalina Island, off the coast of Southern California and Hawaii where an excursion of group of senior travelers can have a go at zip-lining.  A thrilling ride down a cable stretched between two towers with nothing more than a harness attaching you to the zip-line.  A ride equally thrilling for an 18 or 80 year old.

So now, a big part of senior travel is what’s on someone’s bucket list. The bottom line, barriers to senior travel are being torn apart. While a relaxing ship cruise is one alternative, other choices are rapidly expanding.