Senior travel trends - adapting to technology and finding community

Following a lull during the COVID-19 pandemic, older travelers are returning with zeal. They are seeking community-driven, meaningful experiences, embracing digital tools, booking closer to departure and spending more, according to new data and insights from industry leaders.

Spending more and traveling longer

Demand from older travelers is robust. AARP’s 2025 Travel Trends report shows that 70% of Americans aged 50+ plan to travel this year, up from 65% in 2024. They expect to take an average of 3.9 trips and spend about $6,847 per person, roughly in line with 2024’s $6,659 average. More are heading abroad: 44% now plan at least one international trip, up from 32% last year.

Andrew Motiwalla, founder and CEO of The Good Life Abroad, has witnessed that shift firsthand. His company, which offers month-long international living programs for retirees, requires a minimum stay of one month. “From my perspective, it does seem like trips are increasing in duration,” he said. “What I’m seeing is people taking these longer trips…six weeks or eight weeks.”

He said this aligns with a broader shift toward “slow travel” among older adults: “I think the idea of kind of living abroad took hold during the pandemic.” 

Participating in Zoom meetings with a younger cohort working remotely inspired seniors to consider life abroad.

“They’re in these exotic places, and they’re just living there and doing the work. ‘And why do they get to do it? I put in my 30-40 years at this place, why can’t I have that?’ Then they retire and they think, ‘Oh, now it’s my time.’” The shift in thinking is that they can be away longer and stay connected through video calls and other technology.

Trip.com Group CEO Jane Sun sees similar momentum, describing the segment as both rapidly expanding and increasingly influential:

“As we expand our reach globally, we are also seeing strong growth in the silver generation,” she said in the company’s Q2 2025 results. “This demographic is not only expanding but also becoming more active and influential in shaping travel trends. In Q2, both the number of users in our Old Friends Club and their total GMV grew by over 100% since year-end 2024, reflecting rising engagement and purchasing power among senior travelers.”

In China, where retirement often starts at 50–55, Sun said this group “have saved enough money and at that age, they’re very healthy, very energetic and very curious to explore the world… Our forecast is that in the next three to five years, that market can grow into a $1,000,000,000,000 plus market, which is very significant.”

Booking closer to departure

Brian FitzGerald, CEO of Grand Circle Corporation, sees a clear shift in booking patterns post-pandemic. 

“More than half of our reservations are now made within nine months of departure, compared with an average of 12 months prior to Covid,” he said. “Travelers are making decisions closer to their intended travel dates and looking for more immediate opportunities.”

This trend contrasts with earlier norms where many seniors booked a year or more in advance, reflecting a desire to seize near-term travel opportunities.

Rising digital comfort alongside need for human touch

Older travelers are increasingly confident online. According to AARP, most 50+ travelers use hotel and airline websites (83% and 73% respectively).

“E-commerce has trickled down into the senior segment where they feel very comfortable buying things online,” said Motiwalla. “They often will specifically want to [book online] because of the credit card points… We have about 1% that pay with check, but we do actually require everyone to go through the checkout process on the website.”

 FitzGerald said that digital engagement with senior travelers is essential, even if they finalize their bookings offline.

“Social media is an important part of our reach, with more than 400,000 followers across our Meta platforms and an additional 10,000-plus travelers actively engaging in peer-to-peer conversations about our company. While we don’t yet offer online booking, more than half of our annual reservations begin with travelers building a cart on our website. Mobile has also become a key channel, with over 60% of our engagement now coming through smartphones and tablets.”

Trip.com pairs digital engagement with personal reassurance.

“We recently launched our first Old Friends Club flagship offline store in Shanghai, aiming to meet seniors’ strong preference for face-to-face interaction when making travel decisions. We plan to open more of these offline touch points in the future, particularly in major travel hubs to further expand accessibility and engagement,” Sun said.

Seniors’ comfort with newer digital tools is uneven, according to Motiwalla: “Facebook is a technology they’re quite familiar and comfortable with, but at that point, I feel like now we’re getting the end of the technology toolbox for our seniors.” 

Still, the company encourages its customers to use other digital tools that can enhance their life abroad, and created a training series on how to use WhatsApp, which they use to create interest groups, socialize and plan outings. It also helps users with Google Maps to help them get around and understand Wi-Fi versus cellular data to help them stay connected. “These are actually essential tools now in travel,” Motiwalla said. 

Social media inspires, but trust is essential

Social channels are increasingly influential for all travelers—Expedia Group reports 61% now get trip inspiration from social media, up from about 35% in 2022. But older adults skew toward Facebook, where community feedback carries weight. 

“Before they book, they often go to Facebook to see comments from past travelers to connect with people who’ve taken this trip. They can get a direct, authentic experience, which is the beauty of social media, right? Cut out the middleman, go to the source, get authentic communications,” said Motiwalla. “The best thing we did was create this Facebook group where people could just talk to hundreds of other travelers who have been on the program.”

That trust hurdle is critical, he adds: “They’re way more heightened [about] potential scams. They’re not trusting off the bat, unless that brand has been around for 40 years. If you want to work with senior travel, the burden on the company is to build trust.” 

Open to AI tools if they are personalized

AARP’s data shows that 98% of travelers aged 50 and above are aware of AI, but only 8% have used it for trip planning, with 40% citing privacy concerns. Pew Research revealed that 25% of American adults aged 50-64 and only 10% of Americans aged aged 50+ have used ChatGPT, although usage has doubled since 2023.

FitzGerald sees AI as key to meeting seniors’ expectations for a personalized travel experience. “Our demographic is open to innovation, especially when it enhances personalization,” he said. “Research shows that 86% of travelers say personalization influences their decision to book, and 81% remain loyal to companies that deliver it. We see AI as a powerful tool to meet these expectations and to create a more seamless, tailored experience for our travelers.”

Our forecast is that in the next three to five years, senior travel can grow into a $1,000,000,000,000 plus market, which is very significant.

Jane Sun, Trip.com Group

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Motiwalla echoes the need for balance: “To an extent—to a very small extent—we do use AI on our live chat. It’s great for the top 10 questions, but we have a human watching that AI. For anything non-standard, the human quickly intervenes.”

He said seniors want reassurance and personal interaction, especially after they’ve booked the trip. “The pre-departure phase is actually extremely high-touch human,” Motiwalla said. “That is a big investment on our part, because we do think— One, the trust building; Two, the technology; Three, the expectation setting for a different kind of experience than they may have ever had before. I mean, they may have done a lot of cruises and tours, but they stayed in hotels or cruise ship berths, and this is different. So it does require some training, and therefore we’re very hands-on and supportive in that process.”

Resilient cohort, premium tastes, budget-conscious mindset

Even during economic uncertainty, older travelers have continued booking. AARP notes cost is their top barrier (45%), but demand has proved resilient, helped by retirement savings and pensions.

“Our median age is 69.5. It’s like you built up this nest egg your whole life. It’s time to enjoy it,” Motiwalla said. Many of his guests prioritize value, yet they will spend more to travel in comfort. “They have money, but they are really astute at saving and looking for deals. And then they’ll [spend more to book business class tickets] and say, ‘At our age, we just fly business. It’s like too far and too long.’”

Trip.com is positioning its packages for reassurance as well as value.

“Our packages are also transparent and inclusive. Attraction tickets and transportation are fully covered with no hidden fees and no forced shopping during the journey, ensuring peace of mind and trust,” said Sun.

Seniors seek community, not tours

While many seniors have long histories of cruising and guided tours, a growing subset now wants more independence—without isolation. It is a need that seniors might not identify until after they have experienced it, Motiwalla said. 

“They’re not thinking, ‘I would love to go to Lisbon, but I need a community’,” he said. It’s only after they participate in the community activities that The Good Life Abroad created, such as the Tuesday Lunch Club and the WhatsApp interest groups, which foster organic friendships, that they appreciate the value. 

Motiwalla believes this desire for community is a natural part of a life-stage shift. “In retirement, your identity is a little bit in flux…you kind of have to reform an identity,” he said. “What people in our program are realizing is there’s this tribe of people for whom travel is a core value.”

Trip.com is also catering to this social impulse with curated small-group experiences.

“To meet their evolving preferences beyond just sightseeing, we have developed a range of themed travel products tailored to their interests, including photography tours, live music and folk arts, heritage and cultural immersion, wellness retreats, and discovery-oriented itineraries. All trips are designed as small group tours, allowing us to maintain service quality and provide a more comfortable, social, and personalized experience,” said Sun.