Baby boomers built the modern tourism industry, and now that they're retiring in their droves, they're reshaping it too. Far from slowing down, the generation born between 1946 and 1964 is travelling more, spending more and taking bigger risks than ever — while quietly dropping several habits that once defined older travellers.
The biggest shift is the move away from crammed, checklist-style itineraries towards slow travel. AARP figures show Americans over 50 planned an average of 3.6 trips in 2025 and actually took 4.2. With more holidays a year comes less pressure, so boomers are staying longer and settling into places rather than racing through them.
They've also gone digital. This is a generation that once planned trips with paper guidebooks, print magazines and travel agents, yet today they're happily using AI tools, social media and booking apps instead of hauling atlases and stacks of brochures abroad.
Money and health — the two things that traditionally kept older travellers at home — are no longer deterrents. Around 86% of boomers surveyed by AARP put travel in their top three discretionary spending priorities for 2026, and MMGY Global's Portrait of American Traveler research found they plan to spend an average of $8,796 on travel in the next 12 months — well above the $5,655 average across all travellers and more than any other age group. On the health front, boomers aren't cancelling; they're planning ahead with doctors, stocking medications and arranging care abroad if needed.
Two more habits have gone by the wayside: waiting for companions and sticking to the beaten path. Road Scholar data suggests 58% of boomers have taken at least one solo trip, with many citing the familiar frustration of group plans that never leave the group chat. Guided tours aimed at older travellers — Rick Steves' European tours, where one participant reported an average group age of around 60 — offer a middle ground for solo travellers who want company without the coordination headaches.
And the adventure gap has closed. In one Road Scholar survey, 87% of older adults said they felt more adventurous than previous generations. Boomers are whitewater rafting, ziplining, learning to surf and swapping big RVs for rugged off-grid camper vans. The author's own mother hiked Angels Landing in Zion National Park — regularly ranked among the most dangerous trails in the world.
Why does this matter to travellers? If you're retired or close to it, the message is that the old excuses no longer apply — and the industry is responding with tours, insurance and itineraries built for active older travellers. And for everyone else, expect campsites, hiking trails and long-stay destinations to get noticeably more popular with a fit, tech-savvy, well-funded generation of 60- and 70-somethings.
