MediaTel

The Chartered Institute Of Marketing (CIM) has launched a campaign to assess whether advertisers are ignoring the potential wealth of the over 50s in the travel market.

The campaign will ask whether marketing should be adapted to maximise the potential of the over 50s market and will present special reports and research alongside a best practice case-study.

Mike Johnston, international chairman of the CIM, commented: "Today's older consumers are embracing holiday offerings that promote youth and an active lifestyle. However, demand for travel is still much less predictable among the over 50s. Older people tend to avoid holidays that are specifically marketed towards them because that makes them feel older."

According to the CIM, the campaign supports travel marketers by helping them respond to the challenges raised by the so-called 'grey' market and assesses how the travel industry could effectively target older consumers.

Pat Neviani, head of leisure research at Mintel International, added: "There are plenty of incentives for the travel industry to target this group, although marketing will have to be more subtle and carefully thought out than in the past."

The campaign aims to focus attention on often overlooked older consumers, which according to Mintel International represents a slice of the economy that is expected to grow by 13% in 2005. In 2001 the 'grey market' accounted for 32.1 million holidays, 26% of all holidays taken abroad that year.

A recent report from market information provider Key Note claims that middle-aged and older consumers are being ignored by media and marketing executives (see Research Shows Grey Consumers Ignored By Advertisers).

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