Elderhostel – the non-profit organization that has given hundreds of thousands of seniors educational/travel experiences – is changing its name and opening its tours to anyone over 21 years of age. Participation in programs has been dropping. Baby Boomers weren’t joining their tours. Many of their most loyal travelers (Silent Generation and older) are becoming too frail to participate fully. Will Exploritas’ new brand provide the results the organization needs?
Creating Results applauds Elderhostel for taking on this major rebranding and organizational shift. Our only question, “What took them so long?”
For years we have struggled to understand how they could allow such wonderful experiences to be ignored by Baby Boomers who could never see themselves being associated with “Elders.” We wish them well and hope that Exploritas takes Boomers on a trip they will remember.
As generational marketing experts, we love the community-building initiative that built up to the brand announcement – check out this slide show on the Exploritas website of travelers revealing the name. In that spirit, we have a message of our own for Elderhostel/Exploritas and the mature (40+) travelers who enjoy their trips each year:
