There have been studies which show how half of all baby boomers or people aged 45 to 59 dream of world travel. The people who account for 32 percent of all hotel accommodations purchased in the United States are those over 55. Most of these are leisure travelers, and most are spending impressive sums of money on restaurants, lodging, tours and sightseeing.
It will not take a crystal ball to predict the impact of aging but active baby boomers on the travel industry. It is an unprecedented boom for the travel industry that is forecasted by the demographics in this case combined with trends toward early retirement and a healthy economy. An industry boom is nearly always good news for job seekers and career changers. If you’ve been thinking about work in the travel industry, be creative in exploring options.
Think about positions in Web page management, sales, marketing, and publishing in addition to being a travel agent. When it comes to this, consider the niches that serve mature travelers such as the group tour industry. As mentioned by a group travel manager for a travel agency, packaged tours for seniors are a growth area with increasing competition from new companies. The kinds of jobs included in this case are bus driver, tour guide, planner, customer service representative, and marketing specialist. Because the trips provided by this travel agency cater mostly to senior travelers, mature drivers and escorts are especially appreciated. In this case, retired postal workers and city bus drivers are the drivers they hire. Existing between the passengers and the drivers is a good bond because they are of the same age and they share the same humor and outlook. Travel agents can benefit from training even though no specific training is needed when it comes to many of the jobs in the travel and hospitality industry.
As mentioned by the vice president of marketing for a retail travel agents association, what is advisable is starting as an outside travel agent before making the leap to running your own agency. In that capacity, you can earn a commission from an established agency by booking travel arrangements for family and friends. In this case, you can capitalize on the trend toward senior travelers by considering a special training program, such as the certification as a Specialist in Mature Adult Travel, sponsored by the association of American travel agents.
There was a lady who took early retirement from a US company after 30 years in supervision and customer service after thinking about working for the travel industry. After doing her research, she sent letters and resumes to dozens of tour groups. It was a response that was not heartening that she got. Another letter was sent by her after several months, this one to the very top, and the vice president in charge of tours gave her a job afterwards.
This event happened five years ago and she started as a part time marketing specialist and quickly added the title Tour Escort to her resume. Already in her 50s, she still brings groups of senior travelers to such destinations as Branson, Missouri, and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. What she mentioned was how she gets a lot of satisfaction from seeing people have a good time.
What can be rather exciting on the trips to Branson is seeing the shows and sometimes getting up close to the stars. She also enjoys other things including the confidence expressed by groups that request her as the escort on their trips and the friendships she has formed with passengers. When it comes to these advantages, they actually help to balance the hard work inherent in days that can start before dawn and end long after the sun has set.