Posted on Friday, 9 June 2017

Beach-combing, lounging by the pool, cocktails at sunset – these are the classic ingredients of a good holiday. Only these days, people are getting far more adventurous than they once were – by learning new skills, trying new activities and even enjoying extreme sports.

And while young people certainly zero-in on more active overseas breaks, older people are embracing physically challenging and adventurous holidays, too.

This is the finding of a survey by Solitair Holidays, whose managing director, Sian Jones, explains: “Over the last 18 months, we have seen a huge rise in the number of enquiries from our over 60s customers looking for activity and adrenaline-fuelled holidays.

“The holiday industry needs to change its perceptions and the clichés often associated with the older generation.

“Nowadays, people want the chance to tick things off their bucket list and solo travel allows more people to do just that – we think it's great that people are getting out to see the world later in life, a trend we're sure will only increase over time.”

2,000 holidaymakers of various ages took part in the Solitair Holidays quiz, which revealed that when it came to experience breaks the most adventurous age group was not 18-25 year olds, but the over-60s.

Most popular experiences and locations

Mountainous destinations and activities were favoured by one third of all those polled, with over-60s keen to enjoy mountain trekking, skiing, snowboarding and mountain biking.

Water lovers

Pulling on a wetsuit in pursuit of ocean-based pleasures might be thought of as the preserve of younger folks, but the survey revealed that 14% of over 60s had a desire to explore our oceans. Among the top activities were surfing, scuba diving and, perhaps most surprising, swimming with sharks.

The survey listed the top 10 activities most popular with the over 60s:

1. Mountain trekking

2. Skiing and/or snowboarding

3. Mountain biking

4. Hiking

5. Scuba diving

6. Surfing

7. Horse riding

8. Paragliding*

9. Sailing

10. Swimming with sharks*

Travel safe with Over-60s travel insurance

While health and safety is nearly always excellent as regards extreme sports, it's essential to take out insurance before you travel. Even less active holidays should be protected with comprehensive travel insurance, as advised by the FCO.

Alongside cover for injury and illness, starttravel.co.uk's Over-60s Travel Insurance gives you a range of other benefits.

Our 5-Star policy includes the following:

• Up to 185 days covered on single trips
• No excess to pay
• Emergency medical expenses up to £10,000,000
• Cancellation up to £4,000
• Personal effects and possessions up to £2,000
• Legal expenses up to £25,000

We can also provide Winter Sports cover if you're planning a spot of skiing or snowboarding. This is available for people up to the age of 64.

Learn more

* Not covered by starttravel.co.uk Travel insurance

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