[Senior Trend] "Travel Alone According to Your Taste!"... A New 'Adult Travel'

Travel (旅行) refers to leaving everyday life to go to other regions or foreign countries for work, sightseeing, rest, and so on. Although the travel market struggled briefly due to COVID-19, alternative travel has actually increased. More people are seeking private spaces, making detached and upscale accommodations popular, and ‘Off Grid’ travel?voluntarily leaving behind civilization’s conveniences such as cell phones, electricity, and water?is also frequently emerging. Solo travel is noticeably on the rise, especially among senior travelers aged 65 and older. As a result, when participating in hotel fairs or seminars, preparations are busy focusing on how to welcome senior solo travelers.

According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), global air traffic in 2022 recovered to about 70% of pre-pandemic levels. Furthermore, it is projected that in 2024, the number of air passengers will reach 4 billion annually, a 3% increase compared to 2019. This is an astonishing figure. It seems that people enjoy traveling regardless of age or whether they are from the East or West. Historical records show that since ancient times, there have been geographic and tourism guides describing local relics and scenic spots. Stories about people using these guides indicate that humanity has been traveling from early on.

When asking seniors about things they have postponed due to busy lives but now want to do, spending time with family and exploring the world are always mentioned. After retirement, when sudden free time and emptiness arrive, how to use leisure time becomes important. Among various options, travel seems to be the top choice. When thinking of senior travel, common images include renting a tour bus with classmates for flower viewing, or going on golf or hiking trips. Couples sometimes go on gourmet trips, and overseas package tours have also been popular. Recently, some seniors explore ‘regional living’ or ‘local tours’ to see if farming or mountain village life is possible, and even when traveling with spouses or friends, parts of the itinerary are done separately according to individual preferences and circumstances. Solo travel, known as ‘honhaeng (1-person travel),’ is also increasing. There are various types, such as ‘solo New York travel at age 60’ or ‘a woman in her 50s doing solo forest healing meditation travel in Gangwon-do,’ and some even create their own titles and upload video travelogues. Senior travel is evolving.

Travel is not only for those who are financially well-off. High-priced cruise travel products are no longer just filial piety tours; seniors are increasingly pooling their savings or opening dedicated travel savings accounts to afford trips themselves. Also, fam tours (promotional tours) are active by region, and if one can leave good reviews on social media after experiences, many free or inexpensive travel opportunities have become available.

I am a travel enthusiast. At the end of my teens, I took a ferry from Busan to Shimonoseki, Japan, and changed night trains several times to reach Tokyo on my first (budget) backpacking trip. In my twenties and thirties, I took gap years and lived for a month in eight different cities, traveling to over 100 cities domestically and abroad. I crossed the western United States in a camper van with young people from multiple countries, took long-term volunteer trips to Vietnam and the Philippines, camped in Northern Europe, toured domestic breweries, and experienced temple stays across regions?I feel like there is nothing I haven’t tried.

I usually stayed in guesthouses to save travel expenses and exchanged travel information with other guests to prepare for the next trip. However, last year in Jeju, I encountered accommodations that did not allow guests over 35 years old, and for the first time, I experienced travel restrictions due to ‘age’ when becoming a senior. This led me to explore adult travel options and places addressing seniors’ travel concerns.

One discovery was travel director Ko Jae-yeol’s ‘Adult Travel Club.’ He operates curated seasonal tours, creating trips like ‘World Alcohol Journey’ or ‘Stopover Tours’ (short stays at airline layover points), calling them adult’s pride in drinking or ‘Hobby School.’ I would love to join trips such as waterfall exploration, Central Asia’s great nature tours, pilgrim trail visits to small towns, or the last outing of poet Yun Dong-ju in Kyoto. Once, I introduced ‘Kim Young-do’s Samcheonpo Blues,’ rediscovering hometowns through local natives. According to local experts, Tongyeong is as beautiful as a full moon, and Samcheonpo as beautiful as a crescent moon, and I became curious about the stories behind this. Quoting him, “If you want to be a tourist, I recommend Tongyeong; if you want to be a traveler, I recommend Samcheonpo.” His descriptions and explanations greatly inspired my desire to travel. It was truly a rediscovery of unique travel experiences.

There is also a ‘Travel University.’ It aims to nurture travelers and create a mature travel culture, offering a ‘Senior Dreaming Traveler’ course. It started in Seoul in 2018, hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Association. It is the first travel education program in Korea targeting seniors aged 60 and above, and due to positive responses, it has expanded to Daejeon, Gangwon, Chungcheong, Jeolla, and Gyeongsang regions.

I also found a place that addresses concerns about whether aging and physical limitations will prevent travel. It is a senior outing helper startup called ‘ForParents.’ They introduced the ‘Travel Helper’ service, active in the US and Japan, to Korea. For seniors who find solo travel difficult, a social worker specializing in elderly care accompanies them as a ‘buddy’ helper. This role goes beyond guiding group tours; it shares the process with families and offers health consultations. Collaborating with a smart mobility company that provided protocol services, they offer comfortable transportation and include ‘senior-friendly’ restaurants and cafes, making travel convenient for seniors.

Travel is part of life. Good travel enriches our lives. Tasting local food, walking the paths, taking in the scenery, and interacting with people. Encountering current senior travel trends, I feel joyful knowing that even as we age, we can continue traveling and try new things from fresh perspectives. Seniors, let’s travel solo according to your tastes!

Lee Boram, CEO of Third Age