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Abstract
The gerontological literature has consistently made note of the danger in using chronological age as the sole predictor of attitudes and behaviors of the elderly. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the mature market is defined primarily by age or whether other variables mediate the effects of age. Data from a tourism marketing study measuring the vacation travel motivations of older individuals living in Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin were analyzed to examine the importance of 35 travel benefits (push factors) and 85 vacation attributes (pull factors) to mature market members. An elaboration model was used to determine if there were age differences within the mature market (?neo-mature? versus ?veteran-mature?) and whether these age differences were affected by income and retirement status. Factor analysis of the push factors revealed six underlying travel motives: escape, education, family, action, relaxation, and ego. Factor analysis of the pull factors identified nine underlying vacation travel attributes: natural surroundings, good weather, tourism infrastructure, budget dining and accommodations, cultural and historical attractions, manmade attractions, people, upscale facilities, and outdoor recreation opportunities. Initial results indicated there were significant differences in travel motivations of neo-mature market members (aged 50-64) and veteran-mature market members (aged 65+) for four push factors (escape, education, action and relaxation) and three pull factors (natural surroundings, upscale facilities and outdoor recreation opportunities). However, adding income and retirement status into the analysis as control variables mediated the effects of age. The findings serve as a caution to those who believe that age is a sufficient variable for understanding the mature market.
