Boomer Women Are Leaving Their Husbands Behind to Travel Solo — Here's What's Behind the Unprecedented Trend Several factors motivate their decisions to go it alone.
By Amanda Breen Edited by Jessica Thomas
Key Takeaways
- Baby boomers spend big on travel — an average of $6,700 on their vacations.
- Thirty percent of married senior women have traveled solo at some point.
The post-pandemic travel surge is still in full effect, undeterred by rocketing hotel and airfare prices, per Reuters. And it might come as no surprise that baby boomers are some of the biggest spenders in the category, shelling out an average of $6,700 on their vacations, The Boston Globe reported.
But something that's perhaps more unexpected is the high number of married boomer women leaving their husbands behind to travel solo.
Thirty percent of married senior women have traveled by themselves at some point, according to data from Road Scholar, a not-for-profit organization that offers educational travel programs primarily geared toward older adults.
The survey, conducted on 600 women over 50 who have traveled with Road Scholar in the last two years, also revealed that 27% of married women have never had a spouse join them for one of the organization's programs.
Why? The top two reasons boil down to misaligned interests: 42% of married boomer women say their spouse isn't interested in traveling, and 40% reveal they and their spouse have different interests when it comes to travel.
"Your idea of heaven is standing on a mountain pass, breathing in the clear air," solo Road Scholar traveler Barbara Winward wrote in a post on the organization's website. "His idea of heaven is reclining in a deck chair on a cruise ship. What to do? This might be a reason to travel solo — without your husband or spouse.
Related: Women Business Travelers Plan Ahead, Saving Their Companies Money on Airfare
A spouse's physical inability to travel was the third-most common reason (21%) married women ventured alone. Other respondents said they prefer travel experiences with friends or family (13%) or cited financial reasons (4%).
Another 21% pointed to other reasons, including a still-working spouse, differing activity levels and more.
