The Nordic outbound travel market

26
05: Important
Segments
Singles
Singles either travel with other singles
or they go alone, which more and more
singles are daring to try.
Single culture is growing, and a large
proportion of singles have no children.
This makes singles’ holiday travel a
growing industry.
More and more dare to
travel alone
Research carried out by a dating site
showed that 30 % of male respondents
and 26 % of female respondents are
open towards singles’ vacations and have
considered taking one.
Singles holiday travelling is a tendency that
can be compared to dating on the Internet:
it was considered taboo 10 years ago, but
today it is a well-known phenomenon.
Singles’ camping is also a new tendency
that more and more people are trying.
Why do they go?
The advantages of singles’ holidays are
freedom and social interaction between
single travellers. Only 30 % of the women
and half of the men would travel to find
a partner. Instead, the majority choose
singles vacations in order to find new
friends and share experiences.
Empty Nesters
Empty nesters are adult couples, aged 45+ with
no children living at home.
This group used to focus their time on
their children and grandchildren, but in
the future they will spend more time on
themselves, and the biggest share of their
leisure time consumption will be on travel.
It is expected that the
empty nester segment
will make up 21 % of the
world’s population by
2050.
A growing segment
Empty nesters are a rapidly growing
segment globally and in all the Nordic
countries
It is expected that the segment will make
up 21 % of the world’s population by 2050.
In Denmark, the number of people over 60
will make up 33 % of the Danish population.
This makes them very interesting for the
outbound travel market.
They have money and are
ready to spend it
Empty nesters will typically have paid
off their mortgages, while also owning
countryside cottages and possibly holiday
homes abroad. They are generally a
wealthy segment of society and they spend
slightly more money than other tourists
when on vacation.
They also take longer vacations and most
of them are able to travel outside of peak
season, for instance in September, April
and May since they are no longer working.
• 48 % prefer to stay in holiday apartments
• 30 % prefer hotels without children
Why do they go?
There are many different types of couples,
with different needs when travelling.
Generally, empty nesters are travelling to
have experiences and they will not waste
their time relaxing in a hammock. Instead,
they want to take different trips that
are more physically demanding, such as
cycling and hiking in the countryside.
More than half want to make unusual trips
to have holiday experiences. Living in the
centre and dining at restaurants are also
highly preferred among this segment.
Research shows that
• 56 % mention renewed energy as one
element they get out of their holiday
• 33 % emphasise time for romance
• 30 % state they strengthen their
relationship
Empty nesters are an
attractive target group
due to the fact that they
• Have a great desire to travel
• Have a lot of money
• Spend more money than the average
tourist
• Take longer vacations
• Can take vacations outside the peak
season