The paper evaluates whether tour operators' current promotional activities are effectively targeting the increasingly important seniors market. It provides an overview of recent research on senior lifestyle and leisure characteristics and uses this research as a basis for evaluating whether current marketing messages and images are reflecting the changing reality of seniors' lives. The empirical data are drawn from the UK and a range of tourism operators' vacation brochures are examined using exploratory, qualitative content analysis techniques. The findings, however, may have some relevance for all marketers interested in targeting this segment. The paper concludes that there is a notable mismatch between the narrow range of consumer images projected by mainstream tourism marketers and the increasingly active and varied consumption experiences of seniors.
See Kassarjian, H.H. (1977) 'Content Analysis in Consumer Research', Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 14, June, pp. 8-18; and Uzzell, D. (1984) 'An Alternative Structuralist Approach to the Psychology of Tourism Marketing' , Annals of Tourism, Vol. 11, No. 1, pp. 79-100.
2.
Chisnall, P.M. (1944) 'Consumer Behaviour', 3rd edn, McGraw-Hili, p. 323.
3.
Henley Centre (1994) 'Today's Older Consumers: An Emerging Third Age of Personal Fulfilment or a Wasted Era of Frustrated Possibilities?', Leisure Futures , Vol. 1, p. 100.
4.
Blazey, M. (1991) 'Sociodemographics and Psychographic Variables in Senior Travel Markets', Visions in Leisure and Business, Vol. 9, No. 4, pp. 37-50; Romsa, G. (1992) 'Behaviour Patterns of Elderly German Tourists 1979-89', R20-R37 in the Proceedings of Tourism in Europe — the 1992 Conference, Durham, The Centre for Travel and Tourism; Stirland, S. (1993) 'Marketing to Seniors: Easy Does It', Restaurant and Institutions, Vol. 103, No. 2, pp. 133-136; Cockerell , N. (1993) ' Europe's Senior Travel Market', Travel and Tourism Analyst , No. 4, pp. 37-56; and Ryan, C. (1995) ' Learning About Tourists From Conversations', Tourism Management , Vol. 19, No. 3.
5.
See particularly: Henley Centre (1992 ) Leisure Futures, Vol. 3.
6.
Jefferson, A. (1992) 'Tourism in Europe', British Tourism Authority/ English Tourist Board, Tourism Intelligence Quarterly, Vol. 14, No. 1, pp. 57-63, 557.
7.
Henley Centre (1992) 'Europe's Ageing Population', Leisure Futures, Vol.3, pp. 6-10.
8.
For example, the growing importance of the 'Xers', born between 1961 and 1981, is explored in Ritchie, K. (1995) 'Marketing to Generation X', Lexington Books.
9.
Henley Centre (1992) 'Demographic Background', Leisure Futures, Vol. 3, pp. 16-20, 16; and Elliott, H. (1995) 'Silver Service for the Golden Generation', The Times, 9th March.
10.
Henley Centre, ref. 3, p. 7.
11.
Salmon, B. (1994) 'Third Agers and Brand Loyalty', unpublished paper by The Research Business.
12.
Henley Centre, ref. 3, p. 7.
13.
It is also important to remember that many older people are unable to participate in leisure activity, particularly as many live below the poverty line. See Clarke, J. and Critcher, C. (1985) 'The Devil Makes Work: Leisure in Capitalist Britain', Macmillan, Ch. 5.
14.
Henley Centre (1992) 'Time Use', Leisure Futures, Vol. 3, pp. 30-32, 30.
15.
Ibid., esp. p. 31.
16.
Elliott, H. (1995) 'Australia Beckons', The Times, 13th April.
17.
Henley Centre, ref. 3.
18.
Henley Centre, ref. 14.
19.
Henley Centre (1992) 'Demographic Background', Leisure Futures, Vol. 3, pp. 16-20, 16.
20.
Dace, R. (1995) 'Japanese Tourism: How a Knowledge of Japanese Buyer Behaviour and Culture can be of Assistance to British Hoteliers in Seeking to Develop this Valuable Market', Journal of Vacation Marketing , Vol. 1, No. 3, pp. 281-288, 285.
21.
Henley Centre, ref. 3, p. 98.
22.
Romsa, ref. 4.
23.
Henley Centre, ref. 3, p. 100.
24.
Noakes, G. (1995) 'Thomson Tailors its Long Haul Winter Series for Ageing Market', Travel Trade Gazette , 26th April.
25.
Salmon, ref. 11.
26.
Ibid.
27.
Cunliffe, C. (1995) 'Targeting the "Empty Nesters"? An Evaluation of the Consumer in Relation to the Hospitality Industry', unpublished University of Wales Institute, Cardiff BA (Hons) dissertation.
28.
Middletdon, V.T.C. (1994) 'Marketing in Travel and Tourism', 2nd edn, Butterworth Heinemann, Oxford, p. 135.
29.
Cunliffe, ref. 27.
30.
'First Choice, Leisurely Days, Winter-sun Holidays for the Over 50s, Winter 1995, 2nd edn, p. 6.
31.
Thomson, Young at Heart Great Value Winter Sunshine for the Over 55s, October 1995-April 1996, 1st edn, p. 6.
32.
Henley Centre, ref. 3, p. 8.
33.
Ibid., p. 101.
34.
Ibid.
35.
Tresidder, K. , Botterill, D., Llewelyn , L. and Jones, E. (1995) ' Tourism Demand and the Management of Heritage Sites: The Case of Paphos, Cyprus ', paper presented at Medcoast 1995, Tarragona , Spain. (36) Henley Centre, ref. 3.
36.
For a fuller discussion of the problems of matching images and markets, see Morgan, N.J. and Pritchard, A. (forthcoming, 1997) 'Tourism Marketing and Promotion: Creating the Image', John Wiley and Sons.
