http://travelatormedia.com - Why travel brands and DMOs should target the 40+ quality traveller and how bloggers can help them reach this affluent audience - Presentation given by Heather Cowper and Zoë Dawes at Social Travel Britain Conference in Salisbury April 2015

1. Targeting the
40+ Quality Traveller

2. About us
Zoë Dawes
The Quirky Traveller
@quirkytraveller
Heather Cowper
Heather on her travels
@heathercowper
Kathryn Burrington
Travel with Kat
Gary Bembridge
Tips for Travellers
For the 40+
UK Quality Traveller

3. Why target the 40+ traveller?
A growing market
“The UK’s older population is
growing at the fastest rate,
accounting for 17% of our
population today, but is
expected to rise to 23% by
2035, so older travellers will
continue to dominate the
tourism offering at home and
abroad.”
Travel Trends 2012
“In 2013 the baby boomers
(those aged 55-64) were the
only age group to
experience growth in the
average number of holidays
taken per person.”
ABTA Travel Trends 2014

4. Why target the 40+ traveller?
Affluent Internet-savvy
“People over 50 are the
highest spending and most
prolific long-haul-travellers.”
Ian Smith, group CEO of Page & Moy Travel
Group
Older travellers are, “ … more
likely to book their whole trip
online than travellers under 45
years of age, with 2/3 taking to
the internet compared to 57%
cent of the younger group.”
Travelsphere, in partnership with Mintel
Research Consultancy

5. Top 10 Social Media Platforms by Age 2014
Global Webindex Q4 2013

6. Travelator campaign for South Tyrol
Heather, Abigail, Zoë
Outdoor activities
Architecture & Design
Food & Wine
• 12 Articles + 2 videos with
6500+ article/video views
• 34K photo views in first 3 months
680+ Social media posts
from 3 bloggers
across 5 platforms
generating
Est 4.9M OTS
4500 interactions
#insouthtyrol

7. The Quirky Traveller goes to Dundee
Invited by Visit Scotland #tastescotland
www.thequirkytraveller.com

8. Food is cool!
‘When travelling and
on holiday we all like
to think that our
experience is authentic
to the destination.
How much more real
can you get than by
eating local food
cooked by a local in
their own home, or
being taken to a
restaurant which isn't
featured in the guide
books?‘
World Travel Market and Euromonitor
International report

9. Culture is sexy!
Trips linked to arts
and culture are the
most popular
among travellers
in 2014.
World Travel Market and
Euromonitor International report

10. Travel Experiences
Heather climbs a Via
Ferrata in South Tyrol
Kat goes on a Husky Dog
ride with Hurtigruten
Gary – Mum goes skydiving
in Las Vegas aged 70
“Travellers
increasingly
want to
engage and
get under the
skin of the
country they
visit.”
European Travel
Trends 2014
Lauren Bath – Northern Lights
Instagram trip for
Explore Inari-Saariselkä, Finland

11. Food Experiences
Heather - Paris market
tour with Viator
Zoë – Farm to table at
Prezthof farm, South Tyrol
Kat ‘Eating Dubai’
with Dubai Tourism
The Travel Mob campaign
#tasteljubljana
“You may not
remember
the name but
you will
certainly
remember
the
experience.”
Karl Meir, Pretzhof
Farm, South Tyrol

12. Cultural Experiences
“Trips linked
to arts and
culture are
the most
popular
among
travellers in
2014.”
Survey of American
Express Travel
Counsellors
Zoe – Wilfred Owen in
Flanders with My Ferry Link
Heather – Dylan Thomas
centenary with Visit Wales
Gary – Titan/ Uniworld
Danube river cruise
Kat – Blogtrotters Athens for
Marketing Greece

13. What next?

14. Thanks for listening
Zoë Dawes
TheQuirkyTraveller.com
@QuirkyTraveller
Heather Cowper
Heatheronhertravels.com
@heathercowper
TravelatorMedia.com
@TravelatorMedia
Coming Soon: Heather Cowper and Gary Bembridge are speaking
at TBEX Costa Brava May 2015 on 2 May;
“ Moving your blog from Press Trip to Paid Campaign”