According to a report published by Thomas Cook – a UK-based travel company – travelers aged 50 and above are increasingly turning to far-flung destinations inspired by the younger travelers in their family.
We’re detecting a growing trend over travelers over 50 years of age applying to Friends for Asia’s volunteer projects. Many travelers in this demographic are enjoying more freedom than they have in many years – their children are grown, retirement is on the horizon. This presents an ideal opportunity to travel abroad and make a difference by volunteering.
The 50 and above travel trend
The travel industry has even coined a term to identify globetrotting seniors. Grey gappers, as they’re sometimes called, take extended holidays to destinations that were previously the domain of backpackers and gap-year students. The Thomas Cook report also indicates that nearly half of these traveling seniors are particularly interested in adventure activities.
From our perspective, this helps explain why FFA is seeing greater interest from the 50-and-above community. It’s hard to imagine a more meaningful adventure than volunteering in Thailand, whether that means teaching English to monks in temple schools, working with elephants deep in the jungle or gardening for a single mothers’ home.
FFA Values Senior Volunteers
At FFA, we’ve hosted independent volunteers ranging in age from 18 to 70. We can testify to the fact that those in their 50s and above bring extraordinary tenacity and commitment to their projects. This is exactly what our partners look for in a volunteer, which is part of the reason we’re eager to sign up volunteers in their 50s and above.
Mature travelers also bring a superior level of expertise to the job. Many have retired after spending a lifetime developing disciplines and valuable skills that can be put to use on project sites in Asia. Our younger volunteers may be full of energy, but they often lack on-the-job experience. Senior volunteers help to balance this out.
Special Considerations for Retirement-Aged Volunteers
Prospective retirement-aged volunteers often have specific concerns about the conditions they’ll encounter in a foreign country. This is part of what makes Thailand such a spectacular volunteer destination. The country offers a range of exotic and authentic project opportunities, and this comes with the backing of modern infrastructure and world-class medical facilities.
Thailand has been a world leader in medical tourism for years now. Our project sites are conveniently close to first-rate hospitals equipped to do deal with medical emergencies. Furthermore, most standard travel insurance policies cover evacuation to Bangkok in case of a crisis.
We also understand that some of our 50-and-above volunteers prefer to stay outside of the group volunteer accommodation. While we cannot cover the expense of private accommodation, we’re happy to help with the arrangements. There are plenty of comfortable and quiet private rooms close to our volunteer houses. Regardless of where you stay, you can count on 24-hour emergency support from our volunteer coordinators.
