A fifth of over-55s are looking to spend £2,000 or more on their next holiday, with bucket list destinations headed by Machu Picchu in Peru.
Research findings issued by by Co-op Insurance ahead of ‘Sunshine Saturday’ found that 16% the boomer generation took three or more trips abroad in the last 12 months.
The study, conducted by YouGov on behalf of Co-op in October, showed that almost a third (29%) of over 55s value spending money on travel, with only a tenth (13%) choosing to spend on their children, and a fifth (18%) on their grandchildren.
The top three travel experiences on their ‘bucket lists’ were revealed to be the 15th century Inca citadel of Machu Picchu, visiting the Antarctic and seeing the Northern Lights.
Also included in the top 10 were going on a cruise, visiting Alaska, taking a safari, going to the Galapagos islands, seeing the Canadian Rockies, visiting the Norwegian fjords and taking a trip into space.
But the poll of more than 2,100 people discovered that almost a quarter (24%) of over-55s said they never buy travel insurance when going on holiday, with almost a fifth (19%) of those citing their age (11%) or having pre-existing medical conditions (12%) as the reasons why they believed they would be unable to get cover.
Graham Ward-Lush, head of travel at Co-op Insurance, said: “As our research shows, age doesn’t need to be a factor in stopping people from accomplishing those all-important travel goals, whether that be visiting an exotic destination or a world-famous landmark.
“However, whilst everyone should indeed be able to live life to the fullest, it is important that people plan ahead and protect themselves with travel insurance should the unthinkable happen.
“As with travel, age also shouldn’t be a factor in preventing people from protecting themselves with travel insurance, meaning they can continue to tick off those bucket list experiences with peace of mind should they be faced with an unexpected medical issue whilst abroad.”
Top 10 ‘Bucket list’ travel experiences for the over 55s
- Visit Machu Picchu
- Visit the Antarctic
- Seeing the Northern Lights
- Taking a Cruise
- Visiting Alaska
- Taking a Safari
- Visiting the Galapagos Islands
- Taking a trip to Space
- Seeing the Canadian Rockies
- Visiting the Norwegian Fjords