India

India’s Ganges: The Next Star in River Cruises

Published April 6, 2015 | By Clark Norton

A Ganges morning in Varanasi, India. Photo by Dennis Cox/WorldViews.

You’ve done Europe’s Danube, Rhine and Seine, and maybe Russia’s Volga, Portugal’s Douro, or Central Europe’s Elbe.

You’re a devotee of river cruising, and you’re not alone. River cruising is the hottest segment of the cruise industry right now, fueled in large part by baby boomers who enjoy the small ships, the close-up passing scenery, and the informative shore excursions, often included in the price.

European waterways from Spain and Portugal east to the Black Sea are now teeming with river vessels, with more being launched every year.

Cruise lines such as Viking, Uniworld, AMA Waterways, Avalon, Scenic, CroisiEurope, and Emerald Waterways are all competing fiercely for your business there, churning out sleek new ships with tons of innovations like floor to ceiling windows that open up and turn into virtual “balconies” with sitting areas.

Uniworld just launched… Continue reading →

Posted in Baby boomer travel, Countries, Cruises, Tours | Tagged ABN Rajmahal, Assam Bengal Navigation, Ganges River, Ganges Voyager, Ganges Voyager II, India, Kolkata, Uniworld, Vantage Travel, Varanasi. | 2 Comments

Is It Time to Head to India for That Knee Transplant?

Published October 3, 2013 | By Clark Norton

Jordan’s ancient stone city of Petra — a bonus sight with heart surgery? Photo by Clark Norton

With the U.S. health care system all too much in the news right now, it’s a good time to raise the issue of medical tourism: Americans — especially baby boomers — traveling to other countries to have surgeries and other medical procedures that cost a small fraction of what they do in the U.S.

And health permitting, many of these baby boomer medical tourists are taking the opportunity to see the sights of other countries as long as they’re traveling there anyway.

The most popular countries for medical tourism include Singapore, Thailand, India, Mexico, Costa Rica, Jordan, Turkey and Brazil.

That’s a pretty good bucket list of foreign destinations right there.

Need a knee transplant? See the unforgettable Taj Mahal in India and get a two-fer.

A heart bypass? You could leave your… Continue reading →

Posted in Baby boomer travel, Marketing, Tours | Tagged baby boomer marketing strategies, baby boomer tours, baby boomer travel, baby boomer travel trends, baby boomer travelers, baby boomers, baby boomers and tourism, India, marketing baby boomer travel, Medical tourism, selling travel to baby boomers, Taj Mahal, travel marketing, traveling baby boomers | 1 Comment

According to government and private surveys:

Leading-edge baby boomers (born between 1946 and 1955) and seniors account for four out of every five dollars spent on luxury travel today.
Roughly half the consumer spending money in the U.S.--more than $2 trillion--is in the hands of leading-edge baby boomers and seniors.
Baby boomers (born 1946-1964) travel more than any other age group.
When asked what they would most like to spend their money on, baby boomers answered “travel” more than any other category, including improving their health or finances.