Middle-Aged Women: The Travel Industry’s Missed Opportunity

I recently came across an article in the Irish Independent about how the travel and tourism industry is missing a huge opportunity by overlooking middle-aged women. It really struck a chord with me, because I was reminded of something that happened when I was in my mid-40s.

I attended the launch of a major tourism project, where we were shown a glossy video full of twenty-somethings surfing, kayaking, hiking and adventuring from dawn to dusk. It was made very clear that they were the intended audience. When I asked where people my age fitted in, I was told I belonged to the “Culturally Curious” group – supposedly more interested in art galleries, quiet hotels, card games and knitting.

Now, I do enjoy an art gallery, but I remember feeling quite insulted by that assumption. Being told what I supposedly could or couldn’t do made me want to push back against it.

So I did. That meeting sparked something in me, and I decided to try the very adventures that were being marketed to younger people. I called myself the “middle-aged adventurer” and set off to see what I could do – and I had the time of my life. While surfing in Donegal I even met another middle-aged adventurer, a woman in her 60s who was having just as much fun as I was.

I went coasteering in County Mayo – jumping off cliffs into the sea – despite being afraid of both heights and water. It ended up being one of my favourite experiences. The only real injury was when I punched myself in the face while pulling on a wetsuit. (Those things are lethal.)

I tore along the Wild Atlantic Way on the back of a jet ski, deafening my poor guide with my screaming (sorry, Mikee!). I saw Sligo from every angle – from the air in a tiny plane, underwater while snorkelling, and everywhere in between on bikes and horseback. I had an absolute blast.

People over 40 often have more disposable income and more freedom to travel, yet they are so often overlooked in adventure tourism. Not everyone over 50 wants to sit at home watching television. Many want to get out, try new things and enjoy life.

Adventure isn’t just for the young. When I’m older, I don’t want to be saying, “I wish I’d done that.” I want to be able to say, “I did that.”