As aviation continues to grow over and beyond the set- back of the pandemic, airports and the airport community in Africa need to take a closer look at senior travellers to unlock potentials inherent in this demography. With longer lives, more free time and plenty of cash, older people present opportunities for airports to explore and improve their bottom line while giving them a positive passenger experience.
Prior to the pandemic, Nielsen, a market research organisation, had forecast that in America, the over-50’s would shortly account for 70 percent of disposable income. Another market-research firm, Euromonitor, had predicted that global spending by households headed by over-60’s could amount to $15 trillion by 2020, twice as much as 2010. It states that much of this would go on leisure. It is also reported that globally, two billion persons will be 60 years of age or more by the year 2050.
This has implications for Africa too. The growth of spending on religious activities and religious tourism across the continent provides opportunities for travel and tour operators, airlines, airports and all stakeholders to explore the demography of these adherents. It is important to meet the needs of the senior travellers in this market segment who may be spending not only from their reserves of cash, but also from transfers of money by their children who live outside the continent and earn the needed foreign exchange.
There have been reports that adventure travel by those over 60 has become a booming opportunity. For Africa this is the age of what in Nigeria goes by the name, “Omugwo” – an Igbo name for taking care of newly born grandchildren by older parents. With increased migration by Africans (called “Japa” in Nigeria, which is a Yoruba term for travelling), many more grandparents now have opportunities to travel outside the continent for omugwo. They stay and then return to a warmer Africa usually during the cold months of winter.
There have been findings that point to some of this market segment – they are fussy, do not see themselves as old, and so, will respond badly to advertisements specifically targeted at older people, and do not tolerate websites or gadgets that under deliver. This is a pointer that airports will be held to account more by this age group for service failures than the younger demographic.
The implication for diversity, equity and inclusion is that airports will have to work towards accommodating ageing-related needs in their decision making. Services will need to be expanded to take care of the ever-growing ageing population and their needs. The services that airports offer and the devices used will need to be updated also so as to assist these passengers. It has to become a conscious effort engaged in by airports as they seek to meet the needs and surpass the expectations of the ageing population.
Some initiatives have been undertaken by airports and airlines to accommodate this demographic and their specific needs. In the developed states there are a number of compliance measures enacted; even then, many airports are going above and beyond those requirements to enhance passenger experience. They are doing so leveraging diversity, equity and inclusion, and industry efficiency.
Examples are Hidden Disability Sunflower Programme started at London Gatwick Airport in 2016 when the airport wanted to be more accommodating to people with hidden disabilities. Another is new technology such as autonomous mobility devices, including devices that deliver food to airport gates from airport concessionaires and autonomous ground service equipment. There have also been capital investments such as wheelchair airline seating and restrooms to address difficulties passengers experience on-board an aircraft.
So as the number of people over the age of 65 travelling for leisure, medical tourism, business, visiting family and religious pilgrimage increases, airports will need to continue to strive to meet the unique needs of this demographic in the not too distant future. McKinsey, the global strategy firm, predicts that between 2017 and 2030, most of the growth in consumption in the cities of the developed world will come from the over 60’s. This points to the fact that this is a market to go for and the aviation industry in Africa needs to give more thought to it and its ability to move them closer towards the Single African Air Transport Market.
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