Journal of Vacation Marketing Volume 14 Number 3
Exploring tourism experience sought:
A cohort comparison of Baby Boomers
and the Silent Generation
Xinran Y. Lehto, SooCheong (Shawn) Jang, Francis T. Achana and
Joseph T. O’Leary
Received (in revised form): October 2006
Anonymously refereed paper
Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management
Purdue University, Mathews 128B, W. Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
Tel: (765)496–2085; Fax: (765)494–0327; E-mail: xinran@purdue.edu
Xinran Y. Lehto is an associate professor of
Hospitality and Tourism Management at Purdue
University. Dr Lehto’s research focuses on the
social and psychological aspects of leisure travel
and how they impact traveler behavior as well
as marketing communication strategies. She is
particularly interested in examining the roles of
social influences and situational factors influencing
travel motivation and behavior.
SooCheong (Shawn) Jang is an associate
professor in the Department of Hospitality and
Tourism Management at Purdue University. Prior
to his career in academia, he spent about ten years
in the investment banking industry. He is interested
in finance and strategic marketing in hospitality
and tourism. His research includes business
diversification, portfolio management, customer
loyalty, service quality, and senior market.
Originally from Ghana in West Africa, Francis T.
Achana was an assistant professor of Tourism
Management at the Indiana University-Purdue
University in Indianapolis from 2000 to 2003, and
from 2004 to the present, he has been the Human
Dimensions Researcher at the Idaho Department
of Parks and Recreation.
Joseph T. O’Leary is dean of the School of National
Resources, Colorado State University. His research
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expertise is in the area of social behavior and travel
patterns of domestic and international recreation
consumers, secondary analysis of major regular
national data sets and longitudinal travel and
recreation related data, the analysis of recreation
and leisure trends, and the social impacts of
recreation resource development.
ABSTRACT
KEYWORDS: age cohort, Baby Boomers,
senior market, Silent Generation, tourism
experience
Seniors compose an important segment of the travel
and tourism market. With an aging population,
and the biggest bulge of ‘new’ seniors beginning
to join the mature travel market in the form of
Baby Boomers, the question arises as to whether
the travel industry and destination organizations
fully understand the needs and wants of these
aging segments, and whether they are adequately
prepared for them. From the perspective of past
age-based analysis, what applied to certain age
groups yesterday may not now be relevant. Using
the Travel Activities and Motivation Survey, this
study pursued a comparative assessment of the Baby
Boomer generation and the Silent Generation in
the tourism experiences sought and actual vacation Journal of Vacation Marketing
activities. The findings show that differences in Vol. 14 No. 3, 2008, pp. 237–252
© SAGE Publications
cohort-induced lifestyles and values permeate into Los Angeles, London, New Delhi
vacation experience and activity. It would be unwise and Singapore
www.sagepublications.com
to assume that people in similar chronological age and DOI: 10.1177/1356766708090585
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Exploring tourism experience sought
life stages will always have similar travel preferences
from generation to generation. The comparison
allows the industry to anticipate any changes of em-
phasis necessary to better serve the up and coming
boomer senior travel customer.
INTRODUCTION
The importance of seniors as a market segment
in the tourism industry has been recognized
by both the industry and researchers for a
number of years.1–12 It is well documented that
Americans over 50 years old have become a
prime market segment.13–14 With the com-
bination of higher disposable income and
more discretionary time in retirement years,
the Baby Boomers who engage in more active
leisure activities contribute to the emergence of
a new generation of mature travelers. These
travelers are more averse to the stereotypical
image of the older traveler seeking sedate
bus tours, relaxing cruises, and other types of
passive travel engagements.15 The enduring
perception of a homogeneous group whose
options for vacation activities are defined by
the limitations imposed by chronological age
and its associated disabilities may be fading.
The arrival of the Baby Boomer generation
has begun to change the image of a sizeable
portion of the mature market.16
While the life experiences of different gen-
erations of older people may influence their
travel tastes in their later years, the older travel
market is often treated as a uniform group
from generation to generation. They are
provided with packages and services that have
a generalized appeal. Research in geronto-
graphics has clearly indicated that older
consumers are not all alike, and a variety of
factors may explain various types of consumer
behavior observed in later life.17–18 Nevertheless,
the diverse travel needs and experiences sought
by seniors have not been adequately addressed
nor empirically tested. As the Baby Boomer
generation approaches retirement, their
well-documented preoccupation with self-
fulfilling leisure activities and experiences,
as well as their ever increasing sophistication
in travel products and services,19–21 present
the travel industry with new challenges and
opportunities. Destination organizations will
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need a better understanding of the needs and
buying motivations of this upcoming mature
market for at least two reasons. First, there is
insufficient information on older travelers and
what really makes them tick. Second, due to
cohort differences, earlier research on certain
age groups may not be relevant to today’s
consumers in the same age brackets. The
insufficiency of empirical studies focusing on
variations within the older traveler market
clearly warrants further research in this area.
This research emphasizes two generational
cohorts. The first cohort is the older gener-
ation of current senior citizens, born between
1925 and 1945, who lived through the Great
Depression and fought the Second World
War. Strauss and Howe,22 labeled this cohort
the ‘Silent Generation’. They are the parents
of the Baby Boomer generation. The second
generational cohort emphasized in this study
is the Baby Boomers, who were born between
1946 and 1964.23
This research examines the differences in
travel experience preferences of the two gen-
erational cohorts and assesses how inter-
cohort differences manifest themselves in
behavioral and vacation activity participation
patterns. A comparative assessment of the
travel preferences and behaviors of ‘younger’
and ‘older’ seniors (revolving around the
Baby Boomer generation and the group that
represents their parents’ generation) could be
one way of exploring any meaningful dif-
ferences among sub-segments of the senior
market. Clues about such differences have
been identified in several past studies related
to travel and tourism preferences of the senior
market.24–38 The comparison may also allow
the industry to anticipate any changes of em-
phasis that may be required to better serve the
upcoming Boomer senior travelers.
RELATED LITERATURE
Cohort issues
Past research has used a cohort comparison ap-
proach to study the mature market.39–40 The use
of chronological age as the sole determinant
of differences in travel behavior could, how-
ever, be misleading, because older people
could vary more among themselves in the way

they function biologically and behaviorally
than younger people do among themselves.41
As people get older, the chronological age of
the individual could become less reliable as
a predictor of behavior, possibly because the
aging process is a developmental process that
many factors can influence.42 Historical, poli-
tical, economic, and social events of the time,
as well as technological advances, educational
opportunities, and lifestyle changes may all play
important roles in influencing the collective
attitudes, preferences and behaviors of age
cohorts. Later generations are often unlikely
to adopt the same approaches to the issues that
confronted past generations. Socio-historically
based age cohorts, rather than random age
categories, appear to be a more useful basis
for assessing generational submarkets, whose
historical and social experiences bind them
together and make them distinct in their
tastes and behavior from other generations.43
Understanding the differences in generational
experiences could thus be more helpful in
understanding the differences in needs and
preferences of seniors than simply assuming
that age differences will provide explanations
for all generational differences.44
The possible generational influence on
travel preferences and behaviors of senior
citizens makes it unwise to assume that seniors
will always be seniors from generation to gen-
eration, in relation to most of their attitudes
toward travel.45,46 It may be more prudent to
hypothesize that the circumstances surrounding
the social and cultural history of individual
generations will have some influence on their
preferences and tastes, beyond the effects of
their chronological age categories.
Most of the Silent Generation has endured
hardship, having lived through the Great
Depression and the Second World War. The
imprint of these momentous events can be
seen in the tendency of the Silent Generation
to be frugal and cautious or risk-averse, seeing
conformity as a sure ticket to success.47,48 Such
characteristics mean that this cohort is less
likely to be given to wild adventure and ex-
perimentation in their travel behavior than
their children – the Boomers.49 The motiv-
ations for travel among this generation tends to
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Lehto et al.
be driven more by planned leisure trips for rest
and relaxation, in association with friends and
family.50 The use of the recreational vehicle
features prominently in their recreational
behavior.51 Backman et al.52 actually found that
the senior travelers of the Silent Generation
(most of who were already older than 65 years
at the dawn of the new millennium) differed
from their younger successors in the area of
visiting friends and relatives. They tended to
engage in such visits more frequently than the
Boomers.
In America, Baby Boomers lived through
and actively participated in political and social
transformations such as the Civil Rights
Movement and the Sexual Revolution in the
1960s, the Women’s Liberation Movement in
the 1970s, and the Yuppie economic periods
of the 1980s and 1990s. Large numbers of this
generational cohort also fought abroad in the
Vietnam War. The huge societal changes that
these monumental socio-cultural phenomena
provoked may have helped form their tastes
and preferences in leisure and travel, among
others, during their formative years.53 Boomers
had the opportunity to become more free-
spirited and broad-minded about political,
cultural, racial, and gender-related taboos than
any other American generation before them.
They are more accustomed to exotic cultures,
and tend to be more adventurous than past
seniors. It is, therefore, more likely that Boomer
seniors will seek more active and self-fulfilling
leisure activities and experiences in their twi-
light years. That is when they will begin to con-
front their mortality, realizing that they only
have a limited number of good years left, dur-
ing which their physical and mental abilities
will still allow them to comfortably enjoy
certain types of travel and leisure activities.
Studies of Baby Boomers tend to indicate
that this generational cohort does indeed dis-
tinguish itself in its leisure pursuits from past
mature travelers. More than seven in ten, or
73 per cent, of Baby Boomers expect to
devote a lot of time in their retirement years to
hobbies and special interests, including travel.54
They are likely to become heavy users of travel
and hospitality related products. Boomers
are likely to use their resources differently
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Exploring tourism experience sought
than their predecessors, especially because
they have always remade the image of each
age category through which they have passed.
The attitudes and lifestyles of the Boomers
have been shown to differ substantially from
those of the current elderly generation with
regard to leisure travel.55,56 Boomers tend
to emphasize the need to have fun in their
travels57 and to seek more active travel pursuits
in which health and fitness play prominent
roles.58 Many older Boomers have been much
more willing to venture off the beaten path, to
engage in adventure travel involving strenuous
hiking and staying in rustic accommodations,
tracking wild animals and witnessing tribal
ceremonies in exotic lands.59 According to the
Travel Industry Association of America, 56 per
cent of the nearly 98 million US adults who
took an adventure vacation within the past five
years were Baby Boomers.60 It is not a stretch
to assume that these incoming mature travelers
will attempt to transform the old geezer image
of retirement when it comes to travel behavior
and preferences.
Boomers are a cohort that pays little heed
to the dictates of their chronological age;
more than half of them say that they feel
younger than they actually are.61,62 Schiffman
and Sherman66 speak of members of the incom-
ing seniors generation as a ‘new-age elderly’
person, who perceives him/herself as being
younger in both age and outlook than their
chronological age would suggest. They are
more willing than seniors of past generations
to get involved in seeking new adventures,
personal challenges, and cultural and novelty
experiences.64 This feeling of subjective age-
defying cognitive youth, suggests that they
may be influenced by some hidden variables
that can override logical age-related notions
of the appropriateness of travel activities for
mature travelers.65–7
Rich compelling experiences in such dim-
ensions as culture, history, nature, education,
adventure, authenticity, and quality become
the priority special interest travel experiences
that this new generation of mature travelers
appears to seek.68,69 They, therefore, clearly
depart from the stereotypical mold of seniors
of past eras, who tended to seek more passive
travel experiences and activities.70,71
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The continuity theory
It may be argued that comparing the travel
preferences and behaviors of seniors belonging
to different age cohorts is like comparing apples
and oranges because the age differences are
likely to loom large in creating differences in
preferences and behaviors among the cohorts.
However, generational values, attitudes and
preferences tend to resist change induced by
age or lifestyle because the formative years
help define the preferences and attitudes of
individuals over a lifetime.72–4
Some longitudinal studies have established
that changing travel patterns and behaviors
among different cohorts of senior citizens appear
to be driven more by the intergenerational
differences and life-time experiences than by
differences in group chronological age.75,76
This is especially true for those aged between
50 and 75. Lohmann and Danielsson82 found
that travel behavior tends to stabilize in the age
range of 50 to 75 and then to decline gradu-
ally after that. This is in line with other studies
that suggest that changes in travel preferences,
attitudes, and behaviors among seniors are
minimal after age 50.78–83 Pennington-Gray and
Kerstetter 84 also found that, for the ‘Roaring
Twenties Generation’ and the ‘Depression
Babies Generation,’ the intra-cohort dif-
ferences in preference for pleasure travel over
a twelve year period (1983 to 1995) were more
pronounced than the inter-cohort differences
between the generations of seniors.85
This empirical evidence lends some support
to Atchley’s86 Continuity Theory. The theory
posits that, as people age, they tend to sustain
the long-standing patterns of behavior that they
are most familiar with. That would imply
that early socialization, induced by the com-
mon experiences of the mega events and
circumstances of the lifetimes of each gener-
ation, helps mold common generational at-
titudes, and that these persist as cohorts grow
older.87
Given the suggestion that there is a relatively
stable plateau in travel preferences in one’s later
years,88,89 it should be possible to make inter-
generational comparisons in travel preferences
between the relatively up-coming seniors of
the Baby Boomer generation and their parents
of the Silent Generation. The age range of

both groups would reduce the influence of the
chronological age factor. An understanding of
how they differ in their travel tastes will set
the agenda for the most relevant senior travel
programs for the near future.
Cohort analysis, rather than individual age
groups, is helpful in documenting changes in
travel preferences over time within the same
cohort,90,91 because it permits measuring the
evolution of relevant variables in a cohort in
the context of human aging.92 At the same
time, it diminishes the confounding effects of
the unique imprint of the socio-historical times
that might have shaped the opportunities and
constraints of each cohort and helped form
their tastes.93–5
A comparative assessment of the travel
preferences and vacation activities of the Baby
Boomer and the Silent Generations should,
therefore, be of value in exposing the types of
tourism experiences and products that the
current and future older travelers will seek.
The tourism industry would get an early
glimpse of these products, activities, and
vacation experiences and can start examining
the adaptations needed to cater to the Baby
Boomers who are beginning to hit the retiree
market.
Identifying the similarities and differences
among the travel demands of the current and
the prospective senior travel market could
reveal the areas that require retooling. A fail-
ure to retool could result in a situation where
the travel industry continues to promote the
same old stale travel opportunities to a senior
market segment that may be in the process of
changing its spots.
Research objectives and hypotheses
Given this background, the following research
objectives were pursued:
• To determine the types of tourism experi-
ences and activity participation that are
relevant to mature travellers;
• To comparatively assess the similarities
and differences between the Baby Boomer
travelers and the Silent Generation travelers
in terms of tourism experiences and activity
participation.
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Lehto et al.
The following hypotheses are proposed:
• There are cohort differences between the
Baby Boomer generation travelers and
the Silent Generation travelers in tourism
experiences and activity participation;
• There are inter-cohort tourism experiences
sought and activities participated by both
the Baby Boomer travelers and the Silent
Generation travelers;
• There are intra-cohort factors that explain
and account for the unique patterns within
each cohort.
METHODOLOGY
The Travel Activities and Motivation Survey103
was used to conduct the proposed analyses.
TAMS was a national survey conducted by
an association of Canadian tourism ministries
and organizations. TAMS consisted of both a
telephone survey and a self-completed mail-
back survey. The survey was conducted in
Canada and the USA in 2000. The telephone
survey was completed by 28,397 individuals
in the USA and by 18,385 individuals in
Canada. Respondents 18 years of age or more
were selected randomly within the house-
hold. Usable mail-back surveys were received
from 6405 US respondents. A total of 2260
responses from the US respondents whose
birthdays were between the year 1925 and
1964 were used for the analyses in this study.
A generational cohort variable was created
based on respondent birth year information.
The Silent Generation cohort was com-
posed of respondents born between 1925 and
1945. The second generational cohort was
the Baby Boomers born between 1946 and
1964.
The two sets of variables chosen for this
study were:
• Eighteen tourism experiences sought by
travelers on vacation (respondents were
asked what type of vacation experiences
they had sought in the two years before
the survey); and
• Forty-five vacation activities travelers
participated in during their vacations
(respondents were asked what vacation
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Exploring tourism experience sought
activities they had participated in the two
years before the survey).
Chi-square tests were conducted to explore
the single dimensional relationship between
the two generational cohorts in terms of the
18 possible tourism experiences they sought
and the 45 vacation activities in which they
may have participated. Additionally, two
logistic regression (Logit) analyses were used
to test how well the Baby Boomers and the
Silent Generation could be separated by the
experiences they sought, and the actual ex-
periences that they engaged in. The binary
dependent variables in the Logit models
were the choice of Baby Boomers (coded 1
in the analysis) versus the Silent Generation
(coded 0). The Logit model can be specified
as follows:
Log Oddsi = α + Σ βk Xik,where
Log Oddsi: Log odds of occurrence on Baby
Boomers over Silent Generation
α: an intercept
βk: Vector of coefficients of the kth experi-
ence sought or activity participation
Xik: Vector of kth experience sought or
activity participation.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
Travel experiences sought
Among the variables related to travel experi-
ences sought, the top three experiences that
most older respondents sought were: ‘to
rest, relax and recuperate’ (81.0%), ‘to visit
friends or relatives’ (74.1%), and ‘to spend
quality time with the family away from home’
(68.5%). That is, those three were found to
be the most relevant tourism experiences to
all mature travelers regardless of generational
cohorts. In other words, the socialization and
relaxation needs appear to be desirable inter-
cohort commonalities. The results of the
Chi-square analyses showed that many of
the 18 experiences sought by Baby Boomers
and Silent Generation were significantly dif-
ferent as presented in Table 1. Among the
experiences sought that differed significantly,
the desire ‘for intimacy and romance’; the need
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‘to experience adventure and excitement’; the
desire ‘to visit historical sites and important
places in history’; and the need ‘to visit casinos
and to gamble’ showed distinct differential
patterns between the two cohort-based groups.
The Baby Boomers predominantly preferred
the first two experiences while the Silent
Generation particularly favored the latter
two. The Chi-square result also revealed that
seven experiences including ‘visiting friends
or relatives’; ‘spending time with a group
of good friends’; ‘experiencing unspoiled
nature’; ‘experiencing city life’; ‘participating
in a hands-on learning experience’; ‘visiting
a popular, trendy place’; and ‘ being at some-
place that feels familiar and safe’ were not
significantly different. This indicates that those
experiences are sought to a similar extent by
both cohorts.
Because of the relative weakness in statis-
tical power of Chi-square as a non-parametric
statistic, and the robustness of Logistic
Regression (Logit) in terms of its discriminat-
ing power in a two-group situation,97 Logit
analysis was selected as being better suited for
this study. The group differences in the travel
experience sought were, therefore, further
examined using Logit analysis.
The Logit analysis resulted in eight sig-
nificantly different experiences sought by the
Baby Boomers and the Silent Generation.
In assessing model fit, two statistical tests
for the significance of the Logit model were
conducted, and the resulting statistics were
suggested in Table 2: -2 Log Likelihood (LL)
statistic and Hosmer and Lemeshow statistic.
In the proposed experiences sought model,
-2LL reduction was statistically significant
at the 0.00 level. In addition, Hosmer and
Lemeshow statistic of overall fit indicates no
statistical significance, which means that there
is no significant difference between the actual
and predicted classifications. These two statistics
provide good support for the Logit model.98
Vacation activity participation
For vacation activities in which respondents
participated, five activities were identified
as the most popular: ‘restaurant dining (re-
 Lehto et al.

Table 1: Travel experiences sought by Baby Boomers and the Silent Generation
Participation Rate (%)
Baby Silent
Travel experiences sought Boomers Generation Chi-square
To rest, relax and recuperate 82.7 79.2 4.62
To spend quality time with the family away from home 72.7 63.9 20.14∗∗∗
To visit friends or relatives who live in other cities 73.1 75.4 1.49
countries.
For intimacy and romance 41.4 29.7 33.05∗∗∗
To experience different cultures and ways of life 37.2 44.2 11.21∗∗
To visit historical sites and important places in history 53.1 59.5 9.24∗∗
To spend time with a group of good friends 46.4 46.9 0.07
To see natural wonders and important natural sites 55.3 60.7 6.78
To experience the good life with fine cuisine, good 28.8 33.7 6.22
wine, being pampered
To visit casinos and gamble 24.0 32.7 20.85∗∗∗
To visit a popular, trendy place 18.0 15.8 1.81
To be someplace that feels familiar and safe 28.7 27.0 0.78
To experience adventure and excitement 43.6 35.7 14.33∗∗∗
To experience city life (e.g., nightlife, shopping, 34.1 35.4 0.40
museums)
To escape winter weather 22.7 29.6 13.97∗∗∗
To experience unspoiled nature 42.9 43.0 0.01
To participate in a hobby or sport (e.g., golf, fishing, 38.1 33.3 5.61
photography)
To participate in a hands-on learning experience 8.5 6.5 3.10
∗∗p < 0.01, ∗∗∗p < 0.001

gional or local cooking) (81%)’; ‘shopping
or browsing at local arts & crafts studios or
exhibitors’ (59.6%); ‘wandering around small
towns and villages where you stay one or
more nights’ (56.0%); ‘shopping or browsing
at bookstores or music stores’ (55.9%); and
‘coastal or lakeshore scenic drives in one’s own
or a rental vehicle’ (54.8%). In other words,
these activities, which can be summarized into
the categories of dining out, shopping and
sightseeing, were popular among all mature
travelers, regardless of the cohort to which
they belonged.
Among the 49 activities examined how-
ever, Chi-square analyses revealed that 25 were
preferred by either one or the other of the two
mature groups (Table 3). Again, cohort-based
activity differences emerge. The Baby Boomers
had significantly higher participation rates
among several of the 25 significant activities
(P < 0.01), which were mostly in outdoor,
nature-based settings with more active physical
engagements. They include such activities as
‘going on picnics in park settings’; ‘sunbathing
or sitting on a beach’; ‘swimming in oceans’;
‘horseback riding’; ‘work out in a fitness
center’; ‘amusement parks’; and ‘camping’,
while the Silent Generation appears to prefer
experiencing the good life in their travels, in
mostly tranquil and cozy city settings, including
visits to ‘art galleries’; ‘theatres’; ‘casinos’;
‘shopping or browsing at local arts and crafts
studios’; and sightseeing activities of ‘wander-
ing around small towns and villages.’
Logit analysis was also conducted for par-
ticipation in vacation activities, and the model
was supported by the –2LL and Hosmer &
Lemeshow statistics (Table 4). The Logit

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Exploring tourism experience sought

Table 2: Logistic regression results with travel experiences sought

Parameter Standard Wald Odds
estimates error statistic p-value ratio
To rest, relax and recuperate. 0.18 0.12 2.33 0.13 1.20
To spend quality time with the family away 0.35 0.10 12.64 0.00∗∗∗ 1.42
from home.
To visit friends or relatives who live in other –0.17 0.10 2.63 0.10 0.84
cities countries.
For intimacy and romance. 0.61 0.10 37.12 0.00∗∗∗ 1.84
To experience different cultures and ways of –0.29 0.11 7.42 0.01∗∗ 0.75
life.
To visit historical sites and important places in –0.17 0.10 2.60 0.11 0.85
history.
To spend time with a group of good friends. –0.09 0.09 1.00 0.32 0.91
To see natural wonders and important natural –0.26 0.11 5.67 0.02 0.77
sites.
To experience the good life with fine cuisine, –0.34 0.11 9.60 0.00∗∗∗ 0.71
good wine, being pampered.
To visit casinos and gamble. –0.49 0.10 23.19 0.00∗∗∗ 0.61
To visit a popular, trendy place. 0.19 0.13 2.05 0.15 1.21
To be someplace that feels familiar & safe 0.07 0.11 0.51 0.48 1.08
To experience adventure and excitement. 0.47 0.11 19.43 0.00∗∗∗ 1.60
To experience city life (e.g., nightlife, shopping, 0.01 0.11 0.01 0.92 1.01
museums).
To escape winter weather. –0.36 0.10 11.85 0.00∗∗∗ 0.70
To experience unspoiled nature. –0.09 0.11 0.64 0.42 0.92
To participate in a hobby or sport (e.g., golf, 0.18 0.10 3.51 0.06 1.20
fishing, photography).
To participate in a hands-on learning 0.28 0.17 2.57 0.11 1.32
experience
Constant 0.25 0.14 3.35 0.07 1.28
–2LL1 945.53
Chi-square (d.f.) 161(18)
p-value 0.000
Hosmer & Lemeshow
Chi-square (d.f.) 5.01(8)
p-value 0.750
∗∗p < 0.01, ∗∗∗p < 0.001

analysis identified 14 significant activities out
of 49 at 0.01 level, 11 of which were sig-
nificant at the 0.001 level. The Baby Boomers
were much more likely to participate in ‘hik-
ing or back-packing in wilderness settings’;
‘horseback riding’; ‘rock and roll concert’;
and ‘bowling’, whereas the Silent Generation
travelers had much higher odds to go to
‘classical concerts’; ‘theatres’; ‘casinos’; ‘bird
watching’; ‘wandering around small towns
and villages’; and ‘staying at a private cottage’.
These differences again concur with the
differences in vacation experiences sought.
The Baby Boomers exhibit much more fun
loving, physically challenging, and health and
fitness oriented attitudes toward travel,99,100
and these attitudes are reflected in their
choices of activities. On the other hand, the
Silent Generation cohort tends to choose
activities that are relaxing, calming, and more

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 Lehto et al.

Table 3: Travel activities participated by Baby Boomers and the Silent Generation
Participation rate (%)
Baby Silent
Travel experiences sought Boomers Generation χ2
Bird watching. 14.2 18.1 6.50
Wildflowers/flora viewing. 31.5 36.5 6.30
Recreational biking. 18.6 14.3 7.17∗∗
Kayaking or canoeing. 14.7 9.1 16.57∗∗
Fishing (fresh water). 26.6 24.9 0.84
Working out in a fitness centre. 20.2 15.3 9.21∗∗
Going on picnics in park settings. 46.5 38.9 13.34∗∗∗
Golfing. 19.8 19.6 0.01
Hiking or back-packing in wilderness settings. 25.5 15.0 37.27∗∗∗
Horseback riding. 15.3 8.6 22.86∗∗∗
Going bowling. 15.9 8.0 31.33∗∗∗
Skiing (downhill). 13.2 7.8 16.35∗∗∗
Sunbathing or sitting on a beach. 48.6 40.7 14.12∗∗∗
Swimming in oceans. 49.1 40.4 16.99∗∗∗
Farmers fairs or markets. 34.5 38.4 3.55
Local festivals or fairs. 37.2 41.8 4.92
Art galleries. 34.8 43.0 15.88∗∗∗
General history or heritage museums. 39.2 45.3 8.34∗∗
Science or technology museums. 31.3 28.5 2.06
Theatre. 29.6 39.1 22.17∗∗∗
Concerts (classical). 11.0 17.5 19.87∗∗∗
Concerts (rock & roll popular). 23.2 16.8 14.21∗∗∗
Historic sites. 30.3 34.3 3.98
Amusement parks like Disneyland. 39.9 29.1 28.76∗∗∗
Botanical gardens. 27.6 31.1 3.46
Zoos. 47.4 43.5 3.43
Aquariums. 37.0 32.2 5.54
Natural wonders such as Niagara Falls. 34.9 39.8 5.68
Professional baseball games (as a spectator). 26.3 22.6 4.18
Professional football games (as a spectator). 16.9 14.9 1.70
Casinos. 32.1 39.5 13.20∗∗∗
Local outdoor cafes. 41.8 43.0 0.35
Movies. 50.9 46.5 4.25
Restaurant dining (regional or local cooking). 80.7 83.0 1.95
Shop or browse (bookstores or music stores). 56.7 55.7 0.22
Shop or browse (antiques). 43.7 50.9 11.41∗∗
Shop or browse (local arts & crafts studios or 55.0 64.6 21.49∗∗∗
exhibitions).
Camping. 30.4 19.1 37.44∗∗∗
Staying at a lakeside resort in summer. 26.2 26.6 0.03
Staying at a seaside resort in summer. 31.2 33.2 0.99
Staying at a private cottage or condo you own. 12.5 19.1 18.60∗∗∗
Staying at a private cottage or condo you rent. 21.4 17.9 4.19
(continued )

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Exploring tourism experience sought

Table 3: (continued )
Participation rate (%)
Baby Silent
Travel experiences sought Boomers Generation χ2
Staying at a bed & breakfast. 25.7 27.2 0.62
Guided scenic tours in the countryside. 12.5 18.6 16.03∗∗∗
Wandering around small towns and villages. 50.9 61.7 26.48∗∗∗
Ocean cruises. 10.6 16.7 17.98∗∗∗
Coastal or lakeshore scenic drives 53.6 56.0 1.21
Guided bus day tours in a city. 17.8 28.4 35.98∗∗∗
Going to wineries for day visits and tasting. 19.0 22.1 3.34
∗∗p < 0.01, ∗∗∗p < 0.001

Table 4: Logistic regression results with travel activities participated

Parameter Standard Wald
estimates error statistic p-value Odds ratio
Bird watching. –0.39 0.14 7.56 0.01∗∗ 0.68
Wildflowers/flora viewing. –0.09 0.11 0.68 0.41 0.91
Recreational biking. –0.09 0.14 0.45 0.50 0.91
Kayaking or canoeing. 0.32 0.16 3.97 0.05 1.38
Fishing (fresh water). –0.19 0.12 2.56 0.11 0.83
Working out in a fitness centre. 0.17 0.13 1.70 0.19 1.19
Going on picnics in park settings. 0.23 0.11 4.77 0.03 1.26
Golfing. –0.01 0.12 0.01 0.91 0.99
Hiking or back-packing in wilderness 0.60 0.13 19.92 0.00∗∗∗ 1.82
settings.
Horseback riding. 0.48 0.15 9.42 0.00∗∗∗ 1.61
Going bowling. 0.61 0.16 14.62 0.00∗∗∗ 1.85
Skiing (downhill). 0.39 0.16 5.69 0.02 1.48
Sunbathing or sitting on a beach. 0.18 0.11 2.76 0.10 1.20
Swimming in oceans. 0.27 0.11 5.58 0.02 1.31
Farmers fairs or markets. –0.09 0.11 0.64 0.42 0.91
Local festivals or fairs. –0.14 0.11 1.63 0.20 0.87
Art galleries. –0.18 0.12 2.26 0.13 0.84
General history or heritage museums. –0.19 0.12 2.65 0.10 0.82
Science or technology museums. 0.22 0.12 3.17 0.08 1.24
Theatre. –0.39 0.12 11.04 0.00∗∗∗ 0.67
Concerts (classical). –0.50 0.15 10.73 0.00∗∗∗ 0.61
Concerts (rock & roll popular). 0.33 0.13 5.98 0.01∗∗ 1.38
Historic sites. –0.04 0.11 0.15 0.70 0.96
Amusement parks like Disneyland. 0.45 0.11 18.02 0.00∗∗∗ 1.57
Botanical gardens. 0.04 0.12 0.10 0.75 1.04
Zoos. 0.03 0.11 0.07 0.79 1.03
Aquariums. 0.22 0.12 3.58 0.06 1.25
Natural wonders such as Niagara Falls. –0.15 0.11 1.96 0.16 0.86
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 Lehto et al.

Table 4: (continued)
Parameter Standard Wald
estimates error statistic p-value Odds ratio
Professional baseball games (as a 0.11 0.12 0.80 0.37 1.12
spectator).
Professional football games (as a 0.00 0.14 0.00 0.99 1.00
spectator).
Casinos. –0.37 0.10 12.38 0.00∗∗∗ 0.69
Local outdoor cafes. 0.09 0.11 0.72 0.40 1.10
Movies. 0.12 0.11 1.13 0.29 1.12
Restaurant dining (regional or local –0.01 0.13 0.01 0.93 0.99
cooking).
Shop or browse (bookstores or music 0.23 0.11 4.23 0.04 1.25
stores).
Shop or browse (antiques). –0.10 0.11 0.85 0.36 0.91
Shop or browse (local arts & crafts –0.39 0.14 7.56 0.01∗∗ 0.74
studios or exhibitions).
Camping. –0.09 0.11 0.68 0.00∗∗∗ 1.42
Staying at a lakeside resort in summer. –0.09 0.14 0.45 0.71 1.05
Staying at a seaside resort in summer. 0.32 0.16 3.97 0.18 0.86
Staying at a private cottage or condo –0.19 0.12 2.56 0.00∗∗∗ 0.61
you own.
Staying at a private cottage or condo 0.17 0.13 1.70 0.37 1.12
you rent.
Staying at a bed & breakfast. 0.23 0.11 4.77 0.56 1.07
Guided scenic tours in the countryside. –0.01 0.12 0.01 0.22 0.84
Wandering around small towns and 0.60 0.13 19.92 0.00∗∗∗ 0.71
villages.
Ocean cruises. 0.48 0.15 9.42 0.01 0.70
Coastal or lakeshore scenic drives. 0.61 0.16 14.62 0.45 0.92
Guided bus day tours in a city. 0.39 0.16 5.69 0.01∗∗ 0.72
Going to wineries for day visits and 0.18 0.11 2.76 0.38 0.90
tasting.
Constant. 0.27 0.11 5.58 0.00∗∗∗ 1.53
-2LL1 742.54
Chi-square (d.f.) 369(49)
p-value 0.000
Hosmer & Lemeshow
Chi-square (d.f.) 9.31(8)
p-value 0.317
∗∗p < 0.01, ∗∗∗p < 0.001

contemplative. As expected, the findings show
that different lifestyles and values exist in the
proposed age-cohorts and consequently lead
to differences in behavioral outcomes. These
findings agree with Raymond’s101 finding that
Boomers tend to emphasize the need to have
fun in their travels, and Horneman et al.’s102
observation that Boomers tend to seek more
active travel pursuits in which health and
fitness play prominent roles.
In addition, it is possible that differences
in health status, in family situations, and in
other situational factors could, to some degree,
account for the differences exhibited, even
though the influence of these variables could
not be tested with the current data.

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Exploring tourism experience sought
DISCUSSION
The Logit results suggested that six experi-
ences were significant at an alpha level of
0.001. ‘To spend quality time with the family
away from home’; ‘for intimacy and romance’;
and ‘to experience adventure and excitement’
were favored by the Baby Boomers. On the
other hand, ‘to visit casinos and gamble’; ‘to
experience the good life with fine cuisine,
good wine, being pampered’; and ‘to escape
winter weather’ were choices of the Silent
Generation. In addition, the Silent Generation
preferred ‘to experience different cultures and
ways of life’ over the Baby Boomers, at an
alpha significance level of 0.05.
These findings suggest that Baby Boomers
seek more physical stimulation/excitement,
adventure, and quality family time away from
home, whereas the Silent Generation travelers
are pursuing relatively more static experiences
such as casinos, cuisine, or history and culture.
The imprints of generation cohorts are
clearly revealed, concurring with the gener-
ational characteristics of the two cohorts.
There are the sedate traditional geezer travel
preoccupations of the Silent Generation
versus the dashing and physically stimulating
adventure seeking of the Boomers, even in the
later years.103–5 The evidence of a consistent
plateau of general travel preferences and
motivations among seniors within the 50 to
75 year age range 106,107 suggests that age dif-
ferences between these two consecutive
cohorts may not be enough to fully explain
these clear-cut, inter-cohort differences in
travel preferences. The general preferences
of the Silent Generation tend to confirm the
current stereotypes of the preferences of older
travelers, while the leading edge of the Baby
Boomers (the older Baby Boomers who have
begun to enter the mature traveler club), also
appear to be confirming expectations about
them by defying their physical age and seeking
experiences that will lead them to venture off
the beaten path and engage in adventurous
or experimental experiences. In this regard,
the new generation of mature travelers, as
represented by the older Boomers, could be
viewed as being much closer to the younger
cohorts such as Generation X, than to the
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traditional mature traveler market, to which
Boomers would be expected to be aspiring to
at this stage.
It is noteworthy that, when it comes to
activity participation during vacations, a com-
parison of the preferences of the two cohorts
again reveals cohort-based activity differences,
just as was the case when the experiences
sought by each cohort were compared. Par-
ticipation rates of the Baby Boomers were
again significantly higher for mostly outdoor
activities in nature-based settings. The Silent
Generation cohort tended to prefer traditional
mature traveler activities.
Some of the popular activities with the
Boomer group, such as amusement parks,
could be due to the fact that Baby Boomers are
often late empty nesters, compared to previous
generations, because they tended to delay
having families till much later in their life cycle.
Hence, having children at home as Boomers
reach their early 50s would explain continued
interest in amusement parks. However, the
lack of travel party information in the current
data did not allow this hypothesis to be em-
pirically tested in this study.
There is a middling group of travel activities
in which there is a relatively high participation
of mature travelers, regardless of the cohorts to
which they belong. These activities are highly
popular among mature travelers generally,
and both the Baby Boomer and the Silent
Generation travelers participate in them at
rates of up to 40 per cent or higher. These
may be the activities or types of experiences
sought by mature travelers generally and could
constitute the core of the popular products and
services demanded by the mature travel market
segment as a whole. They included such activ-
ities as ‘restaurant dining’; ‘wildflowers/flora
viewing’; ‘visiting local festivals or fairs’; ‘visit-
ing local outdoor cafes’; ‘engaging in coastal
or lakeshore scenic drives’; and ‘visiting zoos.’
Consequently, dining, soft nature and cultural
tourism, and sightseeing tourism activities,
which are highly popular among all types
of mature travelers, should be the bread and
butter of this tourism segment.
Additionally, distinctions can be made
among older seniors of the Silent Generation

group, and the incoming Baby Boomers, in
terms of the more specialized preferences
that distinguish the tastes of each of the
cohorts from the other. Currently, the Silent
Generation cohort may still have a slight
dominance of the mature travel market. The
emphasis of the travel industry on traditional
passive senior traveler demands may still serve
the market for some time. However, in the
near and medium term, as the Baby Boomers
take over this segment of the travel market,
the demand for senior tourism products and
services will most likely tilt toward the wilder
side. A much more active senior will become
the mainstream senior traveler. For them,
traveling for outdoor recreation not so close to
home and traveling to more remote and
adventurous locations could be more matter-
of-course leisure choices.
Certainly, other factors, including geo-
political forces, could create limitations on
such expansive possibilities, as foreign travel to
exotic places comes face-to-face with such
threats as terrorism and increased costs of
travel. However, the implications of a possible
shift in emphasis of mature travel market de-
mands can have both domestic and foreign
consequences. The tourism industry needs to
look more closely at these new trends.
CONCLUSIONS
The main purpose of this study was to assess
the similarities and differences of Baby Boomer
and Silent Generation travelers in the tourism
experiences they seek and the actual vacation
activities in which they participate. The re-
sults of this study have provided reasonable
validation to the research propositions. All
three hypotheses are supported by our findings.
First, older travelers are not a homogeneous
group. The findings suggest that there exist
some cohort differences between the older
Baby Boomers and the Silent Generation in
tourism experience sought and actual vacation
activities in which they participate. Second,
the results verify that there are common tour-
ism experiences sought by both cohorts, such
as sightseeing, dining out in restaurants, and
engaging in cultural and the softer and gentler
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Lehto et al.
type of nature tourism. Finally, there are intra-
cohort factors that explain and account for
the uniqueness of the vacation experiences
sought, and the activities in which each cohort
participates.
A number of previous studies have shown
that the Baby Boomer generation will enjoy
good health and wealth well into their old
age, and that they will tend to exhibit atypical
tendencies in their leisure activities during
their retirement years.108 This combination
of attitudes and resources, coupled with
their adventurous and experiential mindset,
could significantly change the configuration
of relevant tourism products and services
demanded by the mature traveler market in
the immediate future.
As the population ages and the Baby
Boomers begin to retire, it will not come as
a surprise if this new age generation of older
travelers completely reshapes and redefines the
vacation and activity landscape of the mature
travel market sooner rather than later. This is
all the more likely given that the Baby Boomer
generation has always redefined the image of
each age category through which they have
passed, defying existing values, attitudes, and
preferences.109,110
From a leisure, travel, and tourism per-
spective, the well-being of the older population
should therefore become a critical concern for
the industry in the US and in other developed
countries around the world. In the highly
competitive travel industry, keeping abreast
of changing needs, wants, and preferences of
older travelers during the influx of the size-
able Boomer senior cohort could be a leading
edge of competitive advantage for destination
marketers in the next few years. Sensitivity
to the characteristics of the Baby Boomer
cohort, as illustrated in this and other research
findings, could be the key to this endeavor.
As such, periodic and longitudinal surveys of
the same cohort of travelers could be effective
in capturing the trends, adjusting marketing
messages, and subsequently matching vacation
programs and packages offered with the mo-
tives that drive older individuals to engage in
leisure travel.
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STUDY LIMITATIONS AND FUTURE Determinants of Modal Choice’, Tijdschrift

RESEARCH RECOMMENDATIONS
There is a need for researchers to investigate
such gerontographic questions as retirement (10)
status, the onset of chronic illnesses, becoming
a grandparent, as well as gender differences,
(11)
into their test models in order to control for
some of the lifestyle changes that are brought
on by age. This will allow more accurate pre-
dictions on issues that could influence travel (12)
decisions related to the mature travel market in
the near future. This research, given the nature
of secondary data was unable to examine the (13)
influences of these important factors. A second
limitation lies with the dichotomous nature
of the tourism experiences and activities. It
limited the use of more dynamic multivariate (14)
analysis techniques such as Structural Equation
Modeling. The researchers intend to build
upon this study outcome and develop measures (15)
that can effectively incorporate these mediat-
ing factors into the investigation of generation
cohort differences. (16)
(17)
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