Targeting the CANZUS baby boomer explorer and adventurer segments

Abstract

The world’s 90 million post-war baby boomers set the stage for some very fruitful international marketing efforts in adventure travel and educational or discovery tourism in the 21st century. Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United States (the CANZUS countries) have post-Second World War baby-boom generations that together form a cohesive and attractive potential market. But will international tourism marketers recognise that, as baby boomers in the CANZUS populations arrive at their peak earnings and savings years and approach retirement, they present a 21st-century challenge for new product development and marketing strategy in international tourism? This paper profiles three key segments of baby boomers in the CANZUS populations that have the highest likelihood of travelling to discover and learn for self-fulfilment in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and America and to experience soft and hard adventure in these countries. Since all four countries possess an abundance of natural and experiential tourism resources, some tourism product development and marketing strategies are proposed as well.