A Study of Older Adults' Travel Barriers by Examining Age Segmentation
With the Baby Boomers increasing in age and those 85 and over being the fastest growing age segment, the older adult population is increasing at a rapid rate. On a global scale, by 2030, the oldest old (85+ population is expected to have increased by 151 percent. As the population continues to gray, researchers have discovered there are numerous differences in the travel interests, preferences, and choices of individuals within different life stages of old age. Clearly, the term "old age" should no longer be viewed as an umbrella term or a uniform stage of life. Further segmenting older adults into different age groups will assist in determining patterns in older individuals' travel needs and interests, helping them to negotiate constraints. This study seeks to explore similarities and differences in constraints to travel amongst these four age brackets (pre seniors: younger than 65; the young old: 65 74; the old old:75 84; and the oldest old: 85+ The results from one way analysis of variance revealed that respondents in different age groups reported significant differences in many respects regarding their reasons not to travel. In particular, the oldest olds often expressed more conservative views when it comes to travel compared to pre seniors and young olds. This study suggests that future services and research on older travelers must recognize this fast growing trend in old age and reorient their efforts towards improving travel experiences for older adults within specific stages of late life.