18 Jul
NZ Tourism Operator Emphasises the Importance of the Ageing Market
Adventure South director Geoff Gabites emphasized at the recent Holiday Accommodation Parks NZ (HAPNZ) conference that the ageing market is important. Speaking about cycle trails, Gabites said that, as an operator, he would like to see cycle trails developed that are flat and easy so he can attract more business. “Many clients are aged 50 to the high 70s. That is fantastic. We are seeing that age is not the determinant any longer. You can’t segment the market by age any longer because we are staying younger and fitter and healthier for longer. Some people, who have already done the trip three times, anticipate that when they are around their mid-70s they will continue with that same amount of activity from then onwards until they die. They feel fitter and healthier than they were a decade ago. Their friends are similar.” Gabites went on to imply that the upper age groups are also bigger spenders than younger ones. “….once (cycle) trails start moving up into grade two and three it becomes the domain of mountain bikes. The age drops and clients get stingier. They put money into their bikes, which they love dearly, but don’t spend money on the likes of our product.” (Inside Tourism 794, July 15, 2010).
