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New boomer Web site finds top travel dreams of 50 plus Americans include traveling to Hawaii, Europe, Australia and Italy

The days of settling for a quick trip to Florida are over or so it seems for the 50 plus crowd. What has always been an important part of Americans leisure activity is now becoming a full blown passion for baby boomers. In fact, 75 percent of boomers today consider themselves travelers and 30 percent of mature travelers travel for adventure.

Recently, Eons.com, a new Web site for people 50 and over who want to live life to the fullest, challenged Americans to submit the goals and dreams they would like to accomplish on their way to living to age 100.

This growing collection of more than 70,000 LifeDreams personalized collections of top things to do before you turn 100 reveals that nearly half of the top 100 goals adults 50 plus want to accomplish center around travel. What may come as even more of a surprise is the type of travel people are planning: Eons visitors are not naming passive vacations; rather they seek to experience and learn about the world and themselves through meaningful journeys and adventures.

If you are over 50 today, you will, on average, live 20 years longer than your grandparents did, explains Jeff Taylor, founder and CEO of Eons. This provides more opportunities than ever before to get the most out of life. Eons members have told us that they are planning to use this time to travel to new places, to continue to learn, to deepen their relationships and to just have fun. Travel is never more important than when you are over 50 now is the time to live out your dreams.

Eons lists a range of travel experiences, from seeing the Grand Canyon to going on safari in Africa, as among the 100 most popular LifeDreams of its visitors. The top five travel dreams include traveling to Hawaii, Europe, Australia and Italy, as well as taking a cruise.

Up until now, the typical first step in planning a trip was to choose a destination Italy or Hawaii for example. However, we are finding that many boomers are now starting their planning based on their interests and goals, like a walking vacation or a family reunion, explains Ronnie Mae Weiss, an Eons travel expert. From there, the research, planning and fun begin.

For active vacations, boomers are more likely than a younger audience to train with friends or with a personal trainer prior to the trip. Diving into the cultural nuances of a region, taking a conversational language course or inviting friends over to test regional recipes are other ways to make the most of preparing for trips. This new generation is embracing the Internet as a resource and is likely to have a community of past travelers and friends to share and suggest hidden treasures to enrich their travels,adds Weiss.

The travel industry is turning its attention to the financial prowess of this new 50 plus generation. Approximately 8,000 Americans turn 50 every day, and boomers control $2 trillion in disposable income annually. New offerings are being created to meet the unique needs of this age group, from plan it yourself travel to extensive package vacations that can be tailored for couples, adventurous individuals or families seeking intergenerational vacations that bring children, parents and grandparents together.

Unique travel companies like Geographic Expeditions, ElderHostel and Earthwatch, along with others, are offering experiential trips that enable people 50 and over to participate in environmental, cultural, volunteer and other interest driven activities as part of their trips. Industry leaders such as Hyatt Hotels are creating special offers and programs, including destinations and packages that are particularly appealing to this age group.

Travel for people 50 and over is rapidly changing, says Tom OToole, senior vice president, strategy and systems, Global Hyatt Corp. We find it very interesting that travel is among the most aspirational concepts for this group. As such, incredible opportunities are being opened up for the travel industry, including Hyatt, serving these peoples dreams of traveling around the world.

Online Travel In India - A Snapshot

It is being estimated that the online travel market in India was estimated at $300 million in 2005 and is expected to cross $750 million in 2006. By 2008, it is expected to exceed $2 billion.
There have indeed been some new ventures in the online travel space recently and there will be more players coming into the market in the near future. The present scenario will only help the common man by empowering him to choose from the various travel options available in the market to make appropriate travel decisions. With the growth of the Internet penetration and the rising disposable income, the timing is only appropriate for more such OTA’s to enter the market. However we might see some consolidation similar to global practices but the ones that offer the best value for the consumers will continue to grow.
Online B2C e- commerce is growing at 80 percent every year (source IDC). There is a reported 125 percent growth in the online travel sphere, which is the fastest growing segment across e-commerce, accounting for 60 percent of the total e-commerce pie. There are 10 operating airlines in the domestic market and six new airlines are going to launch operations in the coming year. The hotel product is showing a 100 percent growth in inventory.
The Indian consumer’s Annual online consumer purchasing reached approximately US$130 million in 2004-2005, according to the Internet & Online Association of India (IOAI). The total is expected to grow sharply over the next two years, reaching US$ 550 million by 2006-2007. India’s travel & tourism has been ranked as second fastest growing T&T in the world with a projected growth of 8.8 percent over next decade (source WTTC). These are all signs that indicate a healthy growth for the travel product and the increasing need to provide a platform for selling these. The focus is increasingly on bringing this to the consumer through a user friendly, convenient online interface. This is being supported by all players in the market, due to the cost effectiveness of the distribution channel, vis-à-vis a brick and mortar travel agency model. Things are certainly looking good for the launch of travel portals.
As we see broadband penetration increasing across India with the inflection point in 2007, I feel the market share figures in online travel will significantly grow. In addition to this you will see a deeper penetration in the product lines and the type of transactions being done online. The predominant market share growth is in the domestic market. Until now in India the domestic market was disorganised and under serviced which lead to and independent DIY traveler with the focus of the travel companies being on the outbound and inbound market .

The Caribbean islands are the best place for people who enjoy water sports. Whether your own preference is on the water or below it, Caribbean water sports have something to offer you including swimming, waterskiing, sailing, snorkeling, kayaking, and so on.

Snorkeling

Snorkeling is probably the most popular of Caribbean watersports because swimmers of all ages can enjoy it. Going snorkeling means getting personal with the wonderful and colorful marine life found in the Caribbean. Due to the immense popularity of this activity, there are many well-marked snorkeling trails across many islands in the Caribbean. Most of the better resorts and hotels in offer snorkeling equipment as well as instruction.

Board watersports

Windsurfing, surfing, and kiteboarding are all forms of board sports. These Caribbean watersports enjoy a lot of popularity because the trade winds in the Caribbean provide unlimited opportunities for them. Kiteboarding is actually the same as windsurfing except that it uses a relatively smaller board. As to surfing, if you are not going to Hawaii then you had better go to the Caribbean. The water is warm, the surf is good, the bays are sheltered and there is always one trade wind or another making waves, what more could you possibly demand? Due to the combination of ideal conditions, the Caribbean attracts surfers from the world over. Instruction and equipment is available through most hotels or through vendors along the beaches.

Parasailing

If you are not the type for on-water or below-water sports then you have this third option among Caribbean watersports. Facilities for training and equipment are available through your hotel or through vendors along the beach. Going parasailing means getting a unique view of the Caribbean with the whole vista of white beaches, clear waters, blue skies, and the wildlife spread below you as you soar on the wind.

Waterskiing

Waterskiing or jetskiing has become quite popular recently. Jetskiing is especially very convenient with many people renting jetskis for a single rider experience or wave runners that can take on 2-4 riders at one time. As usual, your hotel or the beach front can offer you the vendors for this Caribbean watersport.

Canoeing and Kayaking

There are several guided tours for people who prefer the calm and tranquility of canoeing or kayaking to the other motorized means of traveling on water. The Caribbean is liberally supplied with mangroves and lagoons.

Sailing

Spend a day on a powerboat, catamaran, sailboat, or trimraran and enjoy sailing in the Caribbean. You can opt between bare boat and crewed boats and there are even special charters for people who are interested in learning how to sail.

Scuba Diving

If you wish to go a step beyond snorkeling then go scuba diving and you will see yet another unique perspective of the Caribbean. There are several popular diving spots in the Cayman Islands and Curacao. Go swimming with tamed stingrays in Stingray City. Do not forget the Buck Island Reef National Monument that has 250 species of fish.

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