In many countries, retirees are the main clients of travel companies. Elderly people travel all over the world and spend their "silver time" in a very intense way. Unfortunately, elderly people in Russia cannot boast of such an active life, and there are a number of serious reasons for this.
Why there are few pensioner tourists in Russia
The main reasons for the low percentage of tourists among pensioners in Russia are: health status; financial position; peculiarities of mentality.
Unfortunately, in Russia, the majority of elderly people have serious health problems and they only get worse with age. After retirement, people spend a lot of time and money on treatment and clinic visits.
The culprit is untimeliness, employment and bad habits. A healthy lifestyle and sports have been cultivated relatively recently. It is fashionable now to be beautiful and healthy. Even 40-60 years ago, few people thought about regular self-care, proper nutrition and exercise. In addition, many people have been exposed to the harmful effects of alcohol, nicotine and drugs.
Also, one of the main reasons for the low percentage of retirees in tourism is their financial situation. Few of the elderly can boast of high incomes and the opportunity to travel abroad several times a year.
Despite the annual indexation of pensions, the rise in prices is significantly ahead of the size of government payments. If a person does not have additional income or personal savings, they are unlikely to be able to travel regularly. The low standard of living of Russian pensioners is the main enemy of the development of tourism in this segment.
Another important factor influencing the development of pension tourism is the psychological aspect or mentality of older Russians.
If people work hard all their lives and live with the idea that all good things are somewhere far away and not for them, in old age it will be very difficult to convince them otherwise.
For the most part, former Soviet people travel little, are closed and fear the world. They prefer not to take risks and relax either outside the city at their dachas or within Russia. Fear of change and the inability to organize your vacation hinders the development of pension tourism in Russia.
What needs to be done to develop pension tourism in Russia
First of all, travel companies should actively develop this area and advertise recreation for the elderly. In fact, there are few companies in Russia that offer special tours for people in the 50+ age group. This is due to low demand and insolvency of “age” clients.
In addition to an active advertising campaign and the popularization of pension tourism, government support is also needed. The provision of special conditions for paying for vouchers, a number of compensations, benefits and discounts will make travel for older people more affordable and attractive. This applies not only to foreign tours, but also to recreation in Russia.
Another important moment in the development of pension tourism is the state of health of clients. Many elderly people are simply afraid to go far from their doctors. One of the solutions is to provide insurance that can, if not completely, then at least for the most part, cover all necessary medical services in an emergency.
But it is worth noting that the worldview is gradually changing and more and more retirees are purchasing vouchers in travel companies. If the trend continues, there is a chance to develop this tourism industry over time.
