News and views about  tourism, travel, and leisure that is accessible to people with disabilities, seniors, and Baby Boomers who will experience increasing disability as they age.

Blog developed by Sandra Rhodda, Director, Access Tourism New Zealand, and Senior Research Officer, New Zealand Tourism Research Institute,

Auckland University of Technology.

Register for NZ’s First Access Tourism Conference Here

121 Days Until the First Baby Boomer Turns 65

A just-released report commissioned by the UK Department for Business, Innovation, and Skills, and the Office for Disability Issues presents arguments for why business should improve access for people with disabilities.   The “2012 Legacy for Disable People: Inclusive and Accessible Business” is the result of work by Atkins Management Consultants who reviewed existing messages and communications to SMEs about people with disabilities, developed more compelling messages, and looked at the case for focusing on the disabled as customers.  In summary, the report found that:

• Disabled consumers in the UK are a significant (10.6 billion people) but poorly addressed market worth £80 billion p.a.
• 83% of disabled people have to take business to more accessible providers
• Disabled customers may account for up to 20% of the customer base at an average business
• The risk of losing business to a more accessible competitor is high as consumer experiences of disabled people affect the choices of family and friends
• Business benefits associated with better accessibility include a rapidly expanding customer base, increases in revenues and profits, loyal customers, improved reputation, and a distinct competitive advantage

 The report notes the strong link between age and the prevalence of disability and that, as the population ages, there will be more disability in future.The main barriers to SMEs improving access include low levels of awareness about the business opportunities of improving access, misconceptions around the cost of improving access and what access means, misconceptions and discomfort about disability and awareness, fear of getting it wrong, dominance of legal compliance issue.

 UK Ministers have urged business to see improving access as a way of becoming more profitable in preparation for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in London in 2010. One million disabled visitors are expected in London for the games bringing with them millions of pounds in business.

The European Disability Forum is an independent European non-government organisation which has played a key role in ensuring that all relevant EU policies and initiatives  take disabled people into account.  It reports that the European Commission has just adopted a communication on tourism which proposes to better include people with disabilities.   The latest communication from the Commission points out that tourism plays an important role in Europe’s economy. It comprises 1.8 million enterprises, many of these being small and medium-sized businesses. It also points out that transport and tourism is a basic right for all citizens, including people with disabilities. The right to travel and to access tourist activities is enshrined in Article 9 of the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities (CRPD).    The UN CRPD has been signed and ratified by New Zealand, so that these rights exist in this country.  However, we have not done a very good job in implementing this (see for example, this post, and this).   

CRPD has been signed and is in the process of ratification by the European communities and its Member States.  Read more……………

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It is estimated that by the end of 2010, more than 400,000 Americans will use treatment abroad for a variety of health needs (Travel Impact Newswire).   Recently, a health traveller blog was launched which includes forums where consumers of Medical Tourism can have their say.  The Health Traveller website hopes to help consumers make informed choices when they are contemplating medical or health treatment abroad.  It points out that – while not yet mainstream – travelling overseas for medical treatment is not new. In ancient Roman times documented cases of people travelling comparatively vast distances to locations of health were not uncommon. What is new is that the major reason Americans are travelling overseas is that the high cost of elective, non-acute medical procedures is making such procedures inaccessible at home in the US. 

The list of medical travel destinations is growing rapidly. In terms of overseas visitor numbers it is difficult to get a good estimate for each country.  While there are currently more than 130 countries that want to offer options for treatment abroad, the locations currently most sought out by U.S. health travellers include such locales as India, Thailand, Mexico, Costa Rica and Singapore.  Certainly, medical tourism is not as well developed in New Zealand as it could be and we are – to our detriment – trailing our tourism rivals in developing this industry (Access Tourism NZ, 16 August 2010). In its broadest sense, many patients often view treatment abroad as an opportunity to address health conditions while seeing the world (The Health Traveller).  For this reason, it is imperative that Access Tourism be developed alongside medical tourism, as has pointed out on this website many times before.

Tourism South East (England) has commissioned a series of case studies to understand how businesses have benefited from making their properties more accessible in the run up to the London Olympic and Paralympic Games being held in 2012.  The case studies include video and text case studies.  To find out more, continue reading……

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Michael McClelland of The Best of New Zealand Fly Fishing  told New Zealand’s Inside Tourism magazine this week that social media isn’t all it is sexed up to be, at least in some North American markets.  The Best of New Zealand Fly Fishing is a travel agency started by McClelland in 1981, and – as the name suggests – the American company concentrates solely on trips to this country.  And because most of his up-market clients are retired or approaching retirement, they are not users of these social media forums.  He says his clients won’t be enticed to NZ just because they receive a message to do so via Twitter, Facebook or YouTube. So he is appealing to Tourism New Zealand to take a balanced approach when it comes to destination marketing. “I do not want see all the traditional ways forgotten. Most of the social media are great for our kids but they are not the market that is coming to NZ. If they do travel then most will probably fall into the backpacker market.”  He adds: “I have looked at every YouTube clip on fishing in NZ and most of the videos are young people that are fishing on their own. Very few are using a guide and even fewer are staying in fishing lodges.  It is great exposure for New Zealand, but it is not the market that really helps sustains the lodges or spends anywhere near the money that our up-market clients spend” (Inside Tourism Issue 800, 26/8/2010).

As the Asian and Pacific region struggles to sustain its dynamism in the aftermath of the global financial crisis, the estimated 400 million disabled persons living in the region are emerging as a force for change, including for their still mostly untapped consumer power.   The potential for the business sector to embrace the rights and concerns of persons with disabilities was a key focus of a regional meeting on South-to-South Cooperation on Disability held on 19 and 20 August at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).  Over 60 participants, including senior officials from 10 ASEAN countries, representatives of the business sector and disabled people’s organizations explored ways in which business development plans and employment practices could become more inclusive, recognizing that persons with disabilities are generally an untapped consumer market.

The Meeting was organized by ESCAP and the Asia-Pacific Development Centre on Disability (APCD), in collaboration with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
It reviewed the implementation of the Biwako Millennium Framework for Action — a regional plan for a barrier-free and rights-based society for persons with disabilities, in particular concerning community-based inclusive development. It discussed the feasibility of an ASEAN mechanism to facilitate the movement of persons with disabilities. “We are focusing on the ASEAN subregion to develop a mechanism to enhance legislation and policies related to equal opportunities and inclusive development for persons with disabilities”, commented Tanin Kraivixien, President, APDC Foundation. He continued: “But this Meeting is epoch-making since the business sector has also been invited to promote socially inclusive business development”.

UNESCAP press release 20 August 2010

Guest Post by Ivor Ambrose, ENAT

Happily, more and more tourism professionals are “discovering” accessible tourism and why it is important to so many people. One of the most Frequently Asked Questions posed by business owners and tourist agencies is: “How many disabled tourists are there”?   And then there is the more probing question: “So, if it is not just about disabled people, how many people actually need better access, and what kind of things do they need?”.  Answering these questions accurately requires all sorts of qualifications. (I am tempted to say it is like asking: How long is a piece of string….?). We have websites such as the ENAT website, the Quality Accessible Tourism website, and this website (ATNZ) just to illuminate these issues! 
Happily there ARE a few people who have done the necessary research and have some answers about the numbers of people requiring accessible tourism. One of these is Dr. Simon Darcy, Associate Professor at the University of Technology, School of Leisure, Sport and Tourism, Sydney, Australia (and QAT). He himself is disabled and has worked with the tourism industry, NGOs and government agencies for many years. He recently opened a blog called Accessible Tourism Research.   Visit his blog and read his article on accessible tourism statistics. I think you will find out why the answers to the above questions are not so simple (!) but also you’ll get some evidence about how the market is adapting in some parts of the world in order to deliver better access for all tourists.

With updates and  with permission from Competitiveness for European Tourism for All (CETA).

It is a well-known fact that populations are ageing.  In the USA for example, the McKinsey Global Institute reports that  50+ plus consumers will control the economy for the first time in history in under 10 years.  By 2015, they will command almost 60% of net US wealth and 40% of spending.  Now New Zealand Trade and Enterprise report that manufacturers need to re-think how they market products to Latin America’s Baby Boomers.  The findings of a Neilson report show that while the trend of lower birth rates combined with longer life expectancies have been well-documented in Europe and the USA, the trend also exists to Latin America.  Analysis shows that people aged 50+ currently made up 19% of the population in Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Puerto Rico.  Importantly, these percentages are expected to rise to 26% by 2025 and 38% by 2050, according to Nielsen.  “In the next 10 to 12 years, one of every four consumers will be over age 50, and as in other countries around the world, older Latin Americans are defying the traditional stereotypes. They are more affluent, spend more money and are open to new brands and products,” Mary Paz Roman from Nielsen in Latin America reports.

Per Capita Spending Power
Older households – while being 13% smaller than the average home – have higher levels of per capita spending than other age groups:

• Chile: 17% higher
• Brazil: 15%
• Mexico: 15%
• Colombia:13%
• Puerto Rico: 12%

Tourism New Zealand (TNZ) – the international marketing agency for tourism in NZ – says that Chile, Argentina, and Brazil are firmly in their sights as it evaluated the potential in small but growing markets.  Together, the three countries deliver about 21,000 visitors each year to NZ.  In October 2009, TNZ visited South America and talked to people in the industry.  As a result, TNZ has increased its South American budget to NZ$100,000 and put together a trade development plan for this financial year.  This includes joint venture advertising.  Access Tourism NZ hopes that part of the TNZ strategy in South America will include marketing to the older demographic if we are not to miss out on this large and growing group of potential tourists.

If you haven’t seen much yet about “age friendly” communities, you will. Starting next year, in the USA alone 10,000 Baby Boomers a day will turn 65. The cumulative impact of an aging society has moved — slowly, to be sure — into the mainstream. So writes Philip Moeller in US News. Older residents say that there are a number of things that would make their community more age friendly: housing that better accommodates older occupants and visitors; public and volunteered transportation that provides affordable, physically accessible, safe. and flexible service; downtown areas and, especially in the suburbs, gathering places that are pedestrian friendly and don’t require a car to reach; retailers who “get it” about legible store signage, senior sensitivity in product selections, and accessible store layouts. 

Why bother? According to the World Health Organization:

• In 2000, the global population of people aged 60 and over was 600 million; by 2025 there will be 1.2 billion and, by 2050, almost 2 billion.
• The proportion of the global population aged 60 will double from 11% in 2006 to 22% by 2050.
• Older people play a crucial role in communities – in paid or volunteering work, transmitting experience and knowledge, or helping their families with caring responsibilities. These contributions can only be ensured if older persons enjoy good health and if societies address their needs.
• Making cities age-friendly is one of the most effective policy approaches for responding to demographic ageing.

The WHO has set up an Age-Friendly Environments Programme which is an international effort to address the environmental and social factors that contribute to active and healthy ageing in societies.  Since cities have the economic and social resources to undertake the necessary changes to become more age-friendly and are in the position to lead the way for smaller communities, most of WHO’s initial work in this area has focussed on the urban environment. Cities wishing to become more age-friendly can take part of the WHO Global Network of Age-friendly Cities©.

In addition, the European Commission has recently launched an “Access City Award to highlight the European cities that are taking the most effective and innovative action to improve their accessibility for disabled citizens (read more here).

Guest article by Dominika Bojová, Intern, NZ Tourism Research Institute, Auckland University of Technology, and PhD. Student, International Business Management, University of Economics in Bratislava, Faculty of Commerce, Department of Services and Tourism, Slovak Republic.

Since 2009 the Czech Republic has become a country that seriously understands the potential of tourism for certain groups of inhabitants. According to the European Union’s efforts in promoting and supporting tourism for less privileged European citizens, the Czech Republic recently started projects and grant schemes aimed at social tourism.  The aim of these projects is to improve the life of underprivileged citizens while at the same time helping local economies to smooth seasonal disparities, promote regional development, and create new year-round tourism jobs. European developments in  social tourism are guided by  strategies such as the  Lisbon Strategy, Agenda for a Sustainable and Competitive European Tourism  and Corporate Social Responsibility: A Business Contribution to Sustainable Development. The Calypso study conference of June 2010 reviewed the current situation of social tourism in Europe and set three main tasks for action: experience and knowledge exchange between member countries, further development of health tourism, and a pan-European voucher system.  Continue Reading

The median age for viewers at CBS, ABC, NBC, and Fox is now 51. So writes David Bauder of Associated Press. In fact, the broadcasters’ audience has aged at twice the rate of the general population.  It’s a quiet trend with a real impact on the way they do business.  For example, it has an effect on the type of shows which survive.  A generation ago, the networks were quicker to cast off shows in favour of something newer and hipper, but are more reluctant now to get rid of something that is successful. For years, these networks sold advertising based on how many people were watching in the 18-to-49-year-old demographic, but that is changing.  Advertisers are starting to recognize that older viewers are increasing and that they spend money and are receptive to their messages.  Now there are advertising sectors geared to the 50-plus market, and that includes the travel sector. Alan Wurtzel, research chief at NBC warned not to discount people who are in their 50s and 60S. “They buy iPads,” Wurtzel said. “They’re online. The reality is these are the people who have the money.”

Inside Tourism (Issue 799/2) reports that Tourism Industry Association (TIANZ) CEO Tim Cossar outlined at this week’s annual ITOC conference the three things NZ recommends most to our visitors.  One of these recommendations is “thrill seeking activities”.  As pointed out on this website several times before (most recently here), the government’s own data shows that more visitors engage in sedentary activity while in New Zealand and that the largest group of both domestic and international travellers in New Zealand are already 45 years old or older. Not only that, populations in our most important markets (including in NZ) are ageing and will continue to do so for the next several decades.   And it is the older age groups that have the money and the time to spend on tourism, travel, and hospitality.  While “thrill seeking” is a wonderful lure to the smaller and less wealthy younger demographic, it is unlikely that an emphasis on such activities will attract visitors in the older, richer, and more time-wealthy demographic to our shores.  Access Tourism NZ applauds the fact that NZ also emphasizes NZ’s natural beauty and cultural experiences.  In order to build a sustainable tourism industry in NZ, it is this older demographic that we need to be attracting, and nature and culture are amongst the things that are attractive to them.

Translink, the main provider of public transport in Northern Ireland, have produced a free online access guide to transport in the country and also with regards to travelling into Ireland. The guide gives great information about the different type of public information available including the Metro, Ulsterbus, Goldline and NIRailways.  It contains information and advice on how to use services, and contact details to help plan a journey. The guide has been produced in partnership with the Inclusive Mobility and Transport Advisory Committee (IMTAC), and identifies the degree of accessibility at rail and bus stations throughout the country, following major and ongoing investment in improving the facilities.
You can download a PDF version of the guide from Translink’s website and it is also available from rail and bus stations in Northern Ireland. Large print, Braille and audio tape versions can also be provided on request by Translink by contacting them on: 028 9066 6630 (or Typetalk 18001 028 9066 6630).  For other information about things to see and do in Northern Ireland, visit the OpenBritain Directory.

Reprinted with permission from Craig Grimes, Open Britain and Tourism for All

2010 Legacies Now Measuring Up

The Vancouver Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games held earlier this year have left lasting legacies for the disabled. Will New Zealand take the same opportunities presented by holding Rugby World Cup in 2011?  It is probable that we have left things a little late to make any large differences, although some progress is being made.  Access Tourism NZ has already described how planning to improve access around the London Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012 began in 2004 and is ongoing.  In the case of British Columbia, the organizing committee for the Vancouver Games  (VANOC) knew from the beginning that its responsibility was not only to organize and stage successful Games that upheld the values of the Olympic and Paralympic movements, but also to improve the communities in which those Games would take place.  VANOC’s sustainability targets also included social sustainability.  In 2000, the Vancouver 2010 Bid Corporation partnered with the Province of British Columbia to establish the 2010 Legacies Now program. Since that time, 2010 Legacies Now has worked with more than 4,000 organizations province-wide, investing in programs that will be self-sustaining legacies in the areas of sport, healthy living, literacy, arts, volunteerism and accessibility.

 The planned legacies of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games are numerous and multi-faceted. Of interest to Access Tourism are the following:

• precedent-setting planning and accountability through ongoing stakeholder engagement with consortiums representing persons with a disability
• enhanced accessibility in Whistler and Vancouver for people with disabilities; Whistler is now one of the most accessible resort communities in the world
• barrier-free guidelines for accessible events and accommodation
• A program called Accessible Tourism, a collaboration between 2010 Legacies Now, the Province, Tourism BC and other partners to help 3,600 tourism businesses and 27 recreations measure their accessibility and learn how to improve it so they can draw and serve people with disabilities, young and old (Scrapbook, p.15)
• The Measuring Up program, supported by 2010 Legacies Now along with the Province of BC, which helped more than 100 communities assess and improve accessibility and inclusion for people with disabilities, including the elderly. Examples of the types of projects supported through Measuring Up include enhanced sidewalks and more accessible parks and transit options.
• Built environment:
  •  Richmond’s Speed Skating  Oval designed to meet and exceed national accessibility standards
  • Whistler Olympic plaza was slated to continue to serve as an outdoor gathering place for residents and visitors, equipped with an open grass lawn, amphitheatre seating, a 13,000 sq ft playground that is accessible to people with and without disabilities, outdoor performance spaces and public art commemorating the Games
  • The Olympic and Paralympic Village Whistler, located a short ride away from venues for Olympic and Paralympic athletes and officials, has a blend of accessible apartments, townhomes and hostel accommodation alongside a High Performance Centre
  • The new Vancouver Olympic Centre, which includes swimming pool change rooms  equipped with movable screen walls so all users, including those in wheelchairs, can use them more easily
  • City of Vancouver project “City Hall Community Garden”, with 40 new plots, eight of them accessible to seniors and people with disabilities
  • Three state-of-the-art playgrounds in Vancouver, Whistler and Richmond, which enable all children, able and disabled, to play together

Indian hospital operator Fortis Healthcare has agreed to purchase a 23.9% (US$687 million) stake in Singapore-based Parkway Holdings.  This could lead to a major shakeup in the global health-care industry. So writes Bruce Einhorn in the Bloomberg Business Week.  Medical Tourism, which occurs when a person leaves their own country to seek medical treatment in another country, is a growing trend.  Nearly 150,000 Americans travelled abroad in 2007 for international medical care, and numbers drastically increased throughout 2008 and 2009.  Such treatment could be cosmetic or health related.  In Asia, Singapore has the best reputation for doctors and hospitals, and Parkway is well regarded.  India has for some time now had ambitions to be a major player in the medical tourism market and its hospitals are generally much less expensive than those in Singapore or other medical-tourism destinations such as Thailand or the Philippines. For instance, a hip replacement that costs $43,000 in the U.S. could cost $12,000 in Singapore and just $9,000 in India, writes Einhorn. Single heart bypass surgery, depending on severity, may cost an average of $25,000 to $40,000 in the United States, while an individual travelling to destinations such as India may receive such care for approximately $10,000.   By buying the Parkway stake, Fortis has now positioned itself to become the regional leader in Medical Tourism.  There will be a strong presence in India, where Fortis has 46 hospitals  for the most price-sensitive patients, and a new base in Singapore for higher-end customers aiming for more luxury.

New Zealand is missing out on Medical Tourism as there seems little government resolve in developing this market.  In fact, the most recent Ministry of Tourism figures for medical visits to NZ show that such visits have remained at around 0.01% of our total visitor count for the last seven years.  Our neighbours, Australia, held their first Health and Wellness Tourism conference in September 2009.   At that conference, it was discussed how Health and Wellness tourism is estimated to be worth in excess of US$1 trillion and is one of the fastest-growing drivers in the travel industry.  Ruth Grau, Springboard Vacations USA and Medtral NZ has stated that New Zealand has a potential of 2000 medical tourists a year ( Inside Tourism 742, June 19, 2009), and explains why New Zealand is attractive to medical tourists.   In addition, Dr. Hans Raetz, who is involved in the development of a Southern Cross private hospital in New Zealand tourism hotspot Queenstown says that there is a real possibility for medical tourism at the resort (Travel Memo 24 March 2009).  In fact, the Tourism Industry Association of New Zealand, in its brief to the incoming Minister of Tourism in December 2008, stated that the “wellness market (has) the potential to attract high value visitors and would benefit from target marketing’.  Meanwhile, Medical Tourism “has not been something that has been considered’, according to Associate Minister of Tourism Jonathan Coleman (Inside Tourism 742, June 19, 2009)

The global financial crisis has not dampened the enthusiasm of Australian senior for travel. Recent research conducted by Australian Seniors Publications – who publish The Senior Traveller amongst other things – reveals the following:
• 45% of seniors travelled in a six month period before the survey in 2009
• 95% are planning a domestic holiday and 36% an international holiday in the next year
• The UK, Europe, and NZ top the list seniors want to travel to
• Almost 50% plan to stay away longer than 21 days and 75% prefer mid-week breaks – both factors influenced by retirement
• 80% would travel more if senior’s discounts were available
• 70% prefer to break their journey on long-haul flights
• Seniors tend to plan for trips well ahead
Sue Preston, writing for Travel Mole points out that operators should attract seniors in non-peak periods because of their travel preferences. Airlines could also benefit by marketing affordable stopovers to seniors on long haul flights.

The New Zealand population is ageing, along with that of the rest of the world.  This fact is significant for the tourism, travel, and hospitality industry because disability increases with age.  And it is older people who already comprise our biggest domestic and international visitor groups.  Statistics New Zealand reports that at 30 June 2010, half the male population of New Zealand was over 35.5 years of age, and half of females were over 37.6 years of age. Over the last 10 years, the median age has increased by 2.0 years for males and 2.5 years for females.  The population aged 40-64 (all Baby Boomers and some leading edge GenX) increased in number by 1.5%, while those 65 or older increased by 3% between June 2009 and June 2010. Over the decade ended 30 June 2010, the population aged 15–39 years reduced from 36% to 34% of the population, while over the same period, those aged 40-64 increased by 1.5% to 32%, and those aged 65-79 grew at an average annual rate of 1.9%. In the 10 years ended June 2010, there was also an increase in the proportion of the population aged 80 years and over (80+), from 2.8% to 3.5%.

New Zealand needs to begin to seriously consider improving access in all walks of life – including in tourism, travel, and hospitality – if we are to manage the opportunities presented by the ageing of the population and the resulting changes in ability in our population and the populations of countries that are our major tourism markets.  We can only build a truely sustainable tourism sector by including access considerations.  Unlike our main rivals, we are as yet taking very few steps in this direction.

A new study by a Masters student at Leeds Metropolitan University will look at the travel needs of people with mobility disabilities.  Carlos Buj is working under the supervision of Dr Simon Woodward at the International Centre for Responsible Tourism (ICRT).  ICRT work focuses on the principles of the Cape Town Declaration on Responsible Tourism in Destinations, in order to harness tourism to make “better places for people to live in and for people to visit.”  ICRT has since 1997 worked with governments, tour operators and accommodation providers to realise the aspirations of the Responsible Tourism Movement. 

The study will include a survey which will review the specific needs of travellers using a wheelchair or other mobility aids or those who simply experience some form of mobility limitation. Carlos hopes that people with these disabilities, or a person they often travel with, will provide information about mobility problems experienced when travelling. The survey is completely anonymous, and people can provide their email address if they are happy for Carlos to send follow-up questions or to send a  copy of the final report.  For further information, you can contact Carlos at correoacarlos@gmail.com

It is good to see that Prime Minister John Key has recognized the growing importance of older tourists to  New Zealand tourism.  Inside Tourism 798 reports that in a speech to the Motel Association of New Zealand (MANZ) conference recently, Key said that moteliers should not be surprised if their market becomes increasingly retired people. “They will travel around New Zealand as they will have more time on their hands and will want see the West Coast or whatever and you will get more of them as at the moment New Zealand has 535,000 over 65 and in 40 years it will have a million. We are aging fast.”  He said the average New Zealand male dies at 79 and the average female at 82. The average age of death rises 2.5 year ever decade and Mr Key said his son Max, now aged 15, will have the statistical probability of living to be 100. People will have more leisure time and will be fitter.

Given that the government’s own data shows that:

• the largest group of both domestic and international travellers in New Zealand are already 45 years old or older
• more visitors engage in sedentary activity while in New Zealand
• people experience increasing disability with age

then Access Tourism NZ  hopes that our government and industry will begin to take into consideration what the needs of older and more disabled visitors are.  We need to do this in older to make sure our tourism is sustainable and does not continue to lag behind our major competitors who are already tapping into this growing market.

America’s top professionals involved in building for, marketing to and serving people aged 55+ will be speaking at the National Active Retirement Associations (NARA) upcoming conference in October.  Newswire Today reports that included amongst the speakers will be  Simon Hudson, Chair in Tourism Research at the University of South Carolina.  Simon has done extensive research into mature (50+) tourism and will discuss tourism as it leads to retirement in a location.  Other topics will include internet marketing and strategies to attract retirees to invest in communities. Speakers will also offer advice on how to successfully design, build and market 55+ targeted products and services.  Over the last ten years, NARA annual conferences have attracted business professionals and academics from 16 states, Canada and Mexico.

“As America ages, we are faced with enormous challenges and opportunities to serve this burgeoning market segment,” said NARA Director Dan Owens. “Every six seconds, an American turns 50 and professionals need to get attuned to this marketplace to be successful in our changing economy.  With 70 percent of all assets held by people over 50, older folks play a large role in the economy.” According to NARA, the Aging Silver Tsunami – the 78 million Baby Boomers – will start turning 65 next year (2011). “Over the next 20 years, the youth culture in America will certainly decrease as America will become, as a whole, older than Florida is as a state today. Virtually every business will be affected.”

Other speakers at the conference will include:
• Colin Milner, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Founder and CEO of the International Council on Active Aging (ICAA), one of the world’s visionaries on the health and well-being of the older adult.

• John Cromartie, Washington, D.C. A senior demographer at the Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, John has focused on retiree migration to rural areas.