Learning to travel by myself: Senior Tourism in Monterrey, México

Senior Tourism has been studied just very recently in México. The senior market had been included in previous surveys through the family segmentation market. However, travel agents and tour operators have been devoted to catering tourism services to this group in society. As such, research interest is growing rapidly in our country. Research has been conducted in Monterrey, México. 347 senior citizens participated in the survey and issues included were: reasons to travel with cohorts, travel behavior, needs and limitations to travel, as well as demographic and psychographic features. Literature review includes researches conducted by Abellán and Pujol (senior profile in Spain, 2013), Alén, Dominguez and Fraiz (senior tourism, an emerging market, 2010), Balari and Debenedetto (senior tourism, a new market segment, 2016), Zsarnoczky, Lorant, Mukayev, and Baiburiev (silver tourism in the European Union, 2016), among others. Scholars addressing travel behavior and motivations were also reviewed, focusing in data developed by Crompton (motivations for pleasure vacation, 1979), Losada, Alén and Dominguez (senior tourism behavior, 2014), Sangpikul (travel motivations,
2007, 2008). Questionnaires were used to collect information. The rationale applied was to select 60 years old senior citizens and older, regardless their gender and socioeconomic status.

A key question was to ask their motive for traveling, serving to identify if they traveled for pleasure or by diverse personal reasons. The sample method used was not probabilistic, focused to identify senior citizens who were on the age group required for the research. It was decided to conduct the research in places of usual gathering for senior citizens. As such, shopping centers, casinos, cafeterias, senior homes and family reunions were selected to deliver questionnaires.

Results will emphasize 25 scales used to identify main travel
motivations (regarding pull and push factors), and 18 additional questions collected the travel behavior of leisure tourism by seniors. Findings reflect 66% from the seniors interviewed travel regularly, and they prefer comfortable lodging and previous visited destinations. The average of days traveled is 7 days, being spring and national holidays the most popular seasons to travel. Other findings focus on their frequency of travel, with an average of traveling once or twice a year. Final discussion also invites to observe personality features, relevant to classify travelers by their psychographic profile. Analysis will contribute to a wider understanding on the senior tourism field in Mexico, and the current implications to travel agents and tour operators, in times where society is aging rapidly, and suitable travel services are needed to increase participation.