The Trend Toward Meaningful Travel

Over at Conde Nast Jill Culora validates what we know about trends in tourism that are being drien by the aging of Boomers -- purpose-drive travel and travel for learning. Her article Twenty Trips doesn't make the obvious link to the principles of Inclusive Travel but that too is to be expected. In its current phase, with the explicit emphasis on the industry transformations necessary to accommodate those with disabilities, Boomers will not self-identify as disabled. They will demand the same transformations but shun the stigma of disability.

From Culora's article on the trend to meaningful travel:

Learning a new skill or delving into an area of interest—whether the French Resistance or Renaissance painting—while on vacation is the latest indulgence in travel. A recent Travel Industry Association survey reports 56 percent of travelers would like to take an educational trip—outranking interest even in spa and family travel—and ShawGuides.com, an Internet directory for travel learning opportunities, cites an increase in site traffic of between 10 and 15 percent annually. "More Americans than ever are looking for self-improvement," says Kristin Lamoureux, tourism studies director at George Washington University. "That's why we're seeing such growth in educational travel and experiential learning." The participants, she says, are mainly from among the 78 million baby boomers who make up more than 40 percent of all leisure travelers and who now have their families and finances in order and are eager to take up new challenges.