EU Elderly Population Lead in Choosing Home Over Travel, Study Reveals
A total of 38 per cent of individuals residing in the European Union aged 15 and over abstained from engaging in tourist activities during 2022.
As the latest report of the EU Statistics Agency explains, this figure shows that a significant part refrained from starting any personal journey that includes at least one night’s stay away from their places of residence, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.
In terms of age, Eurostat’s analysis reveals that the intriguing upward trend towards tourism was led by the elderly population, aged 65 and over, with 55 per cent abstaining from such excursions.
On the other hand, individuals aged 25 to 34 showed the lowest tendency to avoid tourism, with only 29 per cent refraining from participating in such aims.
People aged 65 years and over were more inclined to travel in their own country (70 per cent), making longer trips (6.3 nights on average length) and staying more often at non-rented accommodations (53 per cent share of nights).
Further statistics show that tourists aged 65 and over display a distinct pattern of travel behaviour, with 58 per cent of their tourist nights spent during the seasons spanning March to June and September to November.
In contrast, tourists aged 15 to 64 tend to travel mainly during the peak months of July and August.
Among those who abstain from tourist travel, individuals aged 65 and over stand out for distinct reasons compared to their younger counterparts.
Health emerges as a top concern for the older demographic, with 41 per cent citing it as a major reason for refraining from travel. Meanwhile, only nine per cent of the younger population, aged 15 to 64, identified health as a barrier to tourism.
In addition, 34 per cent of individuals aged 65 and overexpressed ‘lack of motivation to travel’ as a significant factor influencing their decision, while only 20 per cent within the 15-64 age group shared this sentiment.
According to Eurostat data, the financial aspect also plays a major role in making travel decisions, although with different emphasis between age groups. Thus, for 44 per cent of individuals aged 15-64, financial constraints are the main reason for abstaining from tourism.
However, only 28 per cent of non-tourists aged 65 and over cited financial considerations as a barrier to travel, highlighting different priorities and financial circumstances between the age demographic.
