For Older Adults, 2023 Could Spell A Return To Travel [Report To The People]

Like many things, traveling can become more difficult as you age. Recent headlines about Southwest Airlines aside, over the past few years, that reality has been made even more complicated. However, age shouldn’t prevent you from taking the vacation of your dreams and seeing the world.

In recent years, older adults have gone from some of the most frequent travelers to the least frequent. Older adults have been advised to exercise extreme care when traveling since the COVID-19 pandemic began. As a result, fewer older adults have taken trips over the past two years than they would have otherwise.

In 2021, 51% of older adults reported taking fewer trips than they’d planned to. However, as safety concerns ease in 2023, I believe we will see more older adults take those vacations they’ve been putting off.

For one, the CDC now offers guidance on what steps older adults should take before traveling to ensure their health is protected. Mainly, the CDC recommends scheduling a doctor’s appointment one month prior to your trip and make sure all your vaccinations and medical prescriptions are current. The CDC also recommends that you cancel if you fall ill prior to your trip.

Secondly, for the past two years, older adults have watched as younger folks racked up lots of miles. In 2022, the travel industry bounced back in a major way. The bounce back was driven primarily by younger travelers.

People of all ages were prevented from traveling through all of 2020 and much of 2021. This caused a wave of make-up travel this past year, spurred on mostly by younger people.

Younger folks have placed a larger value on travel, with two-thirds reporting that they’d rather spend money on a vacation versus on key purchases like a new car. Additionally, millennials are willing to go it alone if need be, with 49% reporting that they’d be willing to travel solo.

While the different generations certainly have different travel tendencies and behaviors, one thing that’s clear is everyone seems to enjoy having an opportunity to escape their day-to-day life for a bit, myself included. According to one poll, 78% of people said traveling was one of their most missed activities during the pandemic.

Everyone feels like they need a break from time to time. Even for retirees, a momentary change in scenery is necessary and can have significant physical and mental health benefits. For example, the occasional vacation can improve heart health by lowering the risk of high blood pressure, high blood sugar and other symptoms that increase a person’s chance of heart disease or stroke.

Not to mention, the number one reason people travel or go on vacation is to destress. Stress is a massive problem in the U.S. and has been tied to the nation’s decline in life expectancy. So, a good vacation isn’t just a luxury, it can have real benefits as well.

So, for the older adults out there that have postponed that big vacation, now is the time. Make 2023 all it can be.

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