More people than ever may be plotting to live the dream … but pure economics means many may have to wait longer than they had originally anticipated.
Professor Sarah Harper of England’s University of Oxford is an expert on gerontology – the study of ageing. She says that although people are healthier in their old age than they used to be, the trends are pointing towards later retirement and lower pensions. And that could mean the days of the young grey nomads are numbered.
“Many 50 to 75-year-olds are going to be in the labour market, so there will be a reduction in those able to take three-month holidays,” she said. “You will not have people retiring in their mid‑50s. The generation of people who retire in their mid-50s has gone.”
Ms Harper is studying how the ageing populate will affect travel trends, and is due to speak at a major international travel convention in Slovenia later this month.
One of the other things she expects we will see is that older people will become increasingly comfortable with the technology of travel.
“Today’s 70-year-old people find technology more challenging,” she told the Travel Weekly publication. “But people now in their 40s and 50s will be more tech-savvy when they reach 70.”
I fell about laughing at the statement 50 – 75 years old will be in the labour market. She is obviously not talking about Australians, if you are over 50 in Australia no one wants you. The biggest constraint to travelling is money not time, I don’t go far from home now, because I can’t afford the fuel, so no big lap for me. So what will towns depending on the grey nomads do now?
And where are these jobs Tony wants us to work at until we are 70? Many more older people will end up on the dole working on getting a Disability pension because Tony thinks he can save money by refusing people who have worked all their lives a Pension. He should focus on the real professional dole bludgers and leave us alone.
We are grey nomads. Im near 65 now, retired at 62, my wife is still working part time, she is near 54. We decided to escape the ‘rat race’ early, bought a motorhome and set out on the road nearly two years ago and are still ‘livin’ the dream’…but yes, prices in things slowed us ‘way’ down, we have to suppliment our incomes from time to time to combat the huge price increaces we see all the time. Rego fees, fuel, taxes just keep going up each year. We will travel at a much slower rate..but we will still travel, once you make the plunge, its very hard to go back to the ‘other’ life..
We semi retired when we were 52 and 53 years old. Spend around 5 months of the year working and living in our caravan in the North West, a couple of months traveling in our caravan, a month with family in the South West and four months at home in New Zealand. At the moment we are working in Geraldton. Not quite so north as usual but still warm enough. We love our little caravan home and enjoy getting to no the locals in the caravan parks. In another six weeks we will head south to spend some precious time with two of our children and their families. Then back home to NZ for a few months where we spend time with my mum and our eldest son and his family. Our home there always has a to do list which keeps us very busy while home. Our computer and smart phone are very important too us while living this lifestyle. Family and friends are just a couple of clicks away. We are now 62 and 63 years old and wouldn’t change a thing. We have friends all over Australia now. Always someone to call on whom we have met along the way. Some life long friendships made. We love our life…..:) In saying that though we are looking forward to settling at home and enjoying our garden/some chooks etc etc but that’s not for maybe another two years. Will always spend a few months each year in our second home Austrlaia though.
greedy fuel stops and greedier caravan parks with Disney land features to blame also .