Characterizing active sport tourists: Millennials versus Baby Boomers

Abstract

Considering the extensive growth of both the millennial and baby boomers generation in the active sport tourism market, large-scale economic potentials for tourism practitioners exist in this market. Limited understanding of the characteristics, needs and motives have however contradicted the enormous growth in the market. To be able to market the segment better, there has been a clear need for a better understanding of the factors representing these travellers. The main aim of current research was to investigate the factors representing the baby boomer and millennial active sport tourists and to get to know their differences regarding their characteristics, needs and motives. From the results shown in current research, it has become clear that a great amount of differences exist between the millennial and the baby boomer active sport tourists. Differences were hereby found for several social-economic characteristics (gender, education level, marital status and income), however also concerning 11 of the 18 motivations tested. Most important significant different motivations hereby are found for the following motivations: ‘escaping from daily routine of home or work’’, ‘thrill & sensation’, ‘overcoming certain challenges’, ‘adrenalin’ and ‘keeping or improving health’. The first four of these motivations are hereby significantly more important for the millennials whereby the last motivation showed to be more important for the baby boomer active sport tourists. Not only differences were however visible between the two groups, also similarities in motivations were shown. This suspects that a similar interest of the two groups in the same type of holiday trips, may also provide similarities in their motivations. The similarities were shown by the high importance mentioned by both groups for the following motivations: ‘fun & enjoyment’, ‘enjoying the beauty of nature’, ‘social reasons’ and ‘relieve from stress and tension/to relax and refresh’. The results of this study has contributed to a better understanding of the complex active sport tourism market. Due to the great amount of differences found between the millennial and the baby boomer active sport tourists, these two groups may be seen as two different market segments. Whereby the concluding recommendation for the professionals working in the branch of active sport tourism may be to make a clear differentiation between products and services offered to the baby boomer active sport tourist and to the millennial active sport tourist.