July 13
More and more grey nomads will soon be abandoning the highways and byways of Australia in favour of cheap overseas jaunts, according to a leading tourism expert.
Tony Charters, who will co-convene the Tourism and Events Excellence (TEE) conference in Melbourne next week, says the trend is clear to see … and he warns that the grey nomad lifestyle could soon be on the wane.
“With dwindling superannuation returns and pensions and improved longevity and wellbeing, the potential is there for older Australians to opt for Asian destinations where they can live like royalty for $20 to $30 a day,” he said. “Many Australians in their 50s and 60s now are very comfortable and familiar with Asian destinations, so the Australian industry would be wise to factor in dwindling nomad numbers in the future.”
His pessimistic view of the future of the Big Lap culture appears to be borne out by new statistics. Roy Morgan Research conducted a consumer survey in the lead up to the TEE conference revealing almost one in two Australians intend to holiday overseas in the next 12 months.
Experts feel the Australian tourism industry looks set to be caught between the outgoing tide of Australians holidaying overseas before any significant flow of arrivals from the emerging markets of China and India.
“Grey nomads have been a critical sector for the Australian tourism industry, particularly in regional and rural areas,” said Mr Charters. “We have seen petrol price hikes in the past curbing grey nomads travel, so it seems highly likely that more and more older Australians will seize the opportunity Asian destinations offer for warm climates and inexpensive living.”
The TEE conference will be attended by government policy makers and tourism industry leaders to examine the changing tourism landscape. Is the grey nomad lifestyle really under threat?
