Baby Boomers
 

I am a college student researching for the specific travel needs of Baby Boomers. If you are a Baby Boomer, I would greatly appreciate if you could provide me with answers to the following short questions:<BR><BR>Q1: Disregarding budget and feasibility, what is your DREAM VACATION DESTINATION?<BR><BR>Q2: What quality does your dream destination exhibit that appeals to you (e.g. culture, nature, casinos, etc.)?<BR><BR>Thank you so much for your help!<BR><BR>Justin<BR>

1. Dream Vacation: A new RV and a Jeep Wrangler in tow traveling all over the US and Canada for a year or two.<BR><BR>2. Nature i.e. National Parks<BR><BR>Utahtea....Baby Boomer

Question #1. Exactly what birth dates do you consider a Baby Boomer??? Everyone has a different opinion about this.

Statistically, 1964 is the last year Baby Boomers were born. The are the post WWII births. According to the census bureau, births dropped off sharply in 1965 which is why the cut off is 1965.

The cut off date is 1964 NOT 1965.

Oh, for pity's sake -- squabbling about statistics masks both the real nature of the boomers and also what Kensington is probably after. Most people mark the beginning of the baby boom as 1951, even though it's supposed to refer to the &quot;boom&quot; in births after WW I. To mark the end of it as 1964 is to say that people who are now 51 are essentially the same in wants and desires as those who are now 39, which is an odd thing indeed -- never mind how different groups within these age brackets might be. <BR><BR>I think Kensington is probably after ideas about what people who are within a decade of retirement, who may have a bit of discretionary income, but who have tastes forged in the social changes and cultural fads of the late 60s and early 70s, right Kensington? <BR><BR>Personally, I'm pretty sick of generalizations about &quot;boomers,&quot; since they lump together people who were dancing to Pat Boone and people who were marching in civil rights &quot;mobes,&quot; as well as lumping together people who were hyper-serious about antiwar protest with the drop-acid drop-out flower children. The vacation tastes of some of these could be very very different indeed from others -- e.g., DisneyWorld vs. eco-tourism in Belize.<BR><BR>Gotta tell you, Kensington, a dominant trait of that era (whenever you think it began and ended) is music, and I'm having trouble thinking up a dream vacation where we could find something on the order of Woodstock without the mud.

oh... &quot;woodstock without the mud&quot;... THAT would be something wonderful!<BR><BR>i agree that music is a dominant trait of that 'group' (it's more than just one generation, as mentioned earlier). <BR><BR>i have traveled 720 mi. (round-trip) to attended Ozzfest for the last three summers with my teenage son and one or two of his friends. until the evening performances, i am just about the only person there over 30. but i love it! just think - 16 hard-rock bands in a 12 hr. period... heaven!<BR>

I was born in 1946 and always understood my birth year to be the real start of the &quot;baby boomers&quot;. For example I went to a small school. There had never been a class size over 20. There were 42 in my class.<BR><BR>&quot;The specific travel needs of Baby Boomers&quot;????? What kind of silly generalization are you looking for?<BR>My Dream Vacation Destination is just what I do, several months in Europe every year. What &quot;quality&quot; does my dream destination exhibit? Culture, customs, food.

Patrick is right. Baby boom starts 9 or so months after WW II. 1946. No wonder we are so much on the same page, I am in the oldest cohort of the baby boom group also.<BR><BR>Every marketing group in the world tries to categorize us to little avail. The 18 year span (46-64) covers a sea change in almost every area of American life. 60's boomers are quite different from the first group (the group providing the hippies, etc.)<BR><BR>I've had several dream vacations: cooking class with Marcella Hazan in Venice; a month in the south of France near St. Paul de Vence.<BR><BR>I would like to have two months in Tuscany, just hanging, maybe gardening. I would also like to do a barge tour of rural England: where you pilot your own long boat though the countryside. <BR><BR>Culture and nature are first on my list. Casinos, not really, I gamble enough on the stock market. <BR><BR>LMF<BR><BR>

<BR>Born 03/30/1956, in the middle of the boom time period (but after it's peak, I believe).<BR><BR>A1: Japan, for two months<BR>A2: Modern, with all the amenities, but culturally different. Architecture, history, natural beauty, friendly people, sports, rail travel.<BR>

I'll play! Even though my answer will probably seem rather unsophisticated and bourgeois. (I was obviously not in the protesting flower-child group.)<BR>Q1: I dream of spending a week at Le Toiny in St. Barts. <BR>Q2: French savoir faire in paradise! Pure indulgance, luxury, romance.<BR>

Thanks so much for the responses thus far! Please accept my apology for the generalization I proposed in my questions. I am at a very early stage of my research project hence I am merely seeking for general reoccuring themes that baby boomers seek in their travel experiences. For individuals interested in knowing the nature of my research project, I am attempting to develop a boutique hotel product that caters to the needs of baby boomers. I am a student at the Cornell Hotel School and this is part of my Hotel Development course.<BR><BR>So, based on the responses I received, I wonder if it would be fair for me to propose that most (not all) Baby Boomers seek for great CULINARY experiences when they travel. Though destinations vary from metropolitans (Tokyo) to the country (St. Barts), Baby Boomers want to RELAX when they travel.<BR><BR>Are food and relaxation the primary attributes Baby Boomers seek for in their travel experiences?<BR><BR>Thanks for your help!

Q1-The caribbean (Grand Cayman)<BR>Q2- Hot weather and BEACHES<BR> Baby Boom- 1946 to 1964

Q!: Botswana &amp; South Africa.<BR>Q@: Wildlife &amp; culture

Obviously, relaxation means different things to different people. My idea of relaxation/great vacation is to go on a luxury tent safari in Africa for a month. With a great camera and a guide knowledgeable about the animals and the history of the land.<BR><BR>Then a month in South India sightseeing and learning about the people/culture there. (I've been to the north) I suppose I'd like to keep going from continent to continent (skipping Antartica) and country to country until I've seen the whole world. Ah, dreams!

Thanks for clarification -- helps. A few random thoughts: <BR><BR>As someone already mentioned, music is a BIGGY for everyone in that era, so I'd certainly suggest facilities to hear and dance to &quot;our&quot; music without being embarrassed by the more critical of the Gen X'rs and thereafter. <BR><BR>I'd also suggest that while relaxation is always enticing for people who work hard (as most who aren't retired yet still are), we are a bit more energetic about getting out and about and seeing and doing things than some earlier generations, including things you might actually take instruction in -- e.g. photography, language, yeah even cooking.<BR><BR>But about food -- remember that people our age (plus/minus that 10 years or more) are probably having our metabolism slow down and being a &quot;foodie&quot; is less and less a good idea-- except and unless you are talking about somewhat health-conscious food (organic, low-fat, low-carb, etc.). We want to eat well, we don't want to feel bad because there's only one thing on the menu that isn't deep-fried and drenched in cheese -- and that one thing has a big ugly &quot;heart-smart&quot; icon on it and is made of straw and sticks.<BR>

Kensington,<BR>Here is my response (birth year 1952, husband 1953):<BR><BR>A1: Western Europe<BR>A2: Culture/Music<BR><BR>Neither of us use our vacation to either find that great meal or to relax. It's more to experience new things and revisit places (i.e. Paris) we want to either re-experience or delve a little deeper into.<BR><BR>As one poster said, music is a big deal to us. We always look at what's on, whether it's seeing an old act (e.g. Lou Reed in Salzburg, 1994; Bob Dylan in Montreux, 1994; B.B. King, Juan les Pins, 1998, Stones, etc.), or a new group (Coldplay, Travis, etc.).<BR><BR>Comfort level: Actually, after having a kid, that went up -- bathroom in the room. The best thing we like about a hotel room are those not-often times when we get two bathrooms. We like hotels with breakfast (coffee &amp; a roll is fine) included.<BR><BR>On food: great street food and unpretentious bistros with locals. We're still in that bottle of wine, cheese and a blanket, and we're happy as clams period of our life, even though we've been together 25 years.

Yes, I'm into the food! But I definitely prefer lighter, healthier meals with VERY fresh, and maybe unusual ingredients that I can't &quot;do&quot; at home. I love those tiny &quot;baby&quot; veggies on the side with a delicate sauce over my protien! When on vacation, I'd rather not see a pasta anywhere in site!<BR><BR>

Thank you for all the insightful responses! To summarize the topics addressed, key qualities Baby Boomers seek in their travel experiences are (sorry for the generalization!):<BR><BR>UNIQUE LOCAL CULTURE<BR>WELL-BEING (healthy food, spa treaments, etc.)<BR>CULINARY INDULGENCE<BR><BR>One last question:<BR>As a baby boomer, would a boutique hotel in PROVENCE, BALI, and HAKONE (hot springs area in Japan) appeal to you?<BR><BR>Thanks so much for all the responses - they are VERY helpful!

Gee, my son and I were almost both baby boomers...that's spooky.<BR><BR>At this moment we are in the 7th month of an 8 month RV road trip. It's not new like utahtea wants and we're pulling an Explorer, not a Wrangler, but close.<BR><BR>My dream trip is Australia. Reasons? Everything...culture, diving the reef, sight seeing, scenery. Give me year there.....

Forgive a kibitzing prof, Kensington, but it looks a little to me like you've drawn your conclusions based on what you wanted to find, or expected to find, from the beginning. You've more or less ignored a number of comments and keep coming back to the same ideas: leisure and food. Are you sure you aren't trying to describe your own ideal vacation?

Justin, I think Cassandra is right. There doesn't appear to be a logical connection between these responses and your conclusion.<BR><BR>I haven't seen a big response here for either relaxation or food. I have, however, seen a big response for adventure, experiences, and music.<BR><BR>There was a great discussion about boutique hotels and the product they provide earlier this week on the boards, if you do a search. It had me laughing my head off, but the comments were so true! <BR><BR>If you're looking for the ultimate hotel product, I guess phrasing the question a little differently might help.<BR><BR>I look for a hotel room that is big enough so I don't trip over my suitcase or husband. They've already invented a guy's most treasured hotel product in the world -- the remote control -- so I'll give you my wish list:<BR>1. A hairdryer that has the same power as the hairdryer I own, and one that isn't permanently chained to the inside of a drawer so I have to kneel on the floor to use it (yes, this is the new thing we found in almost every European hotel this summer);<BR><BR>2. A choice of pillows, so us pillow carriers (see another thread on this one!) don't have to drag our pillow on vacation.<BR><BR>3. A decent bed table on BOTH sides of the bed. Very important, because once you hit 40 or so, everyone has to wear at least reading glasses (or myopic people like me are stuck with 2 pairs). If you wear glasses, you will understand the extreme importance of a place to put them at night close by, so when you wake up or have to use the toilet in the middle of the night, you won't step on them because you've been forced to put them on the floor. Hmm, maybe even a bed stand with a unique glasses holder on it -- if someone could come up with a great design for this . . . .<BR><BR>Anyone else have any thoughts?<BR>

Which pair do you wear when you surf?

Such participation in this discussion - thanks for all the help!<BR><BR>In response to Cassandra's posting, I apologize for making it seems like I have disregarded your message. I have everything written down in my notes and I did find your message very interesting and helpful. My parents (baby boomers themselves) listen to music in the 70's all the time, so, believe me, I have an idea of how important it is to the baby boomer generation. The reason why I didn't further consider the idea is that I thought that it would be contradicting to have a lounge playing music in the 70's where local culture and experience is emphasized. I would appreciate any suggestions on what subtle ways are there to incorporate the music element into a hotel project.<BR><BR>In terms of room configurations, Is the major theme comfort? Nothing small and tragically hip. Correct?<BR><BR>Another attempt to summarize things baby boomers seek in their travel experiences:<BR><BR>Adventure<BR>Experience<BR>Mus ic<BR>Nature<BR>Culture<BR>Food<BR><BR>Based on these observations, is it fair to assume that MOST (not all) baby boomers prefer rural destinations (South Africa, Bali, Maldives...) to metropolitans?<BR><BR>Thanks again for the help! I appreciate the feedback!

Justin,<BR>My husband much prefers cities over rural. He loves the pulse and the magic of visual madness. I like both, usually in combination -- a few days here, a few days there.<BR><BR>I'd pick Provence over the others, but only because it has a mix of bigger and smaller places. I don't know about &quot;boutique&quot; hotels. How do you define that? Maybe an inn would be fun, if it had a decent bar below it, like the place in Four Weddings &amp; a Funeral. <BR><BR>Incorporating music in a hotel project: two ways that I can think of off the top of my head (aside from a surround-sound pre-set radio speakers in a room): (1) live music in the hotel bar; or (2) if the hotel has a pool, piped in music in the pool. The latter is NOT a really wild idea. The coolest pool experience we ever had was piped music in the pool at the Tenaya Lodge outside Yosemite. You don't hear it unless you are submerged in the pool. I don't know how they did it, but it was incredible.<BR><BR>And Wow, think contacts. Worn them since they were first mass produced. But had to give up surfing -- gets difficult when you take out the contacts and can't see the ocean!

Kensington,I'm a baby boomer and a Cornell grad,so I've followed this thread with interest. We alternate our trips between urban and back-country experiences. We love architecture and the energy of cities,so I suggest that you don't concentrate exclusively on the non-urban traveler. I miss my daily after-class walks over Triphammer Bridge. Say hello to Big Red from a 1969 alumna.<BR>