A fresh study issued by the Global Coalition on Aging and Transamerica Institute highlights the prospects, patterns, and advantages tied to travel across generations

The Global Coalition on Aging and nonprofit Transamerica Institute today published Travel for Healthy Longevity: Health and Economic Benefits of Multigenerational Travel. The analysis reviews the swift growth of silver tourism among those age 55 and older along with multigenerational trips as a strong influence on healthy aging, family ties, and economic expansion. Drawing together extensive academic and third-party findings, the report outlines approaches for business leaders, policymakers, and employers to capture the full promise of this growing sector.

"The expansion of silver tourism and multigenerational travel mirrors the way longer lifespans are transforming family structures, spending habits, and the worldwide economy," said Michael Hodin, CEO of GCOA. "Leaders in government and industry who spot this chance and plan for it will succeed in the aging landscape of the twenty-first century."

Key findings in the report include:

Travel aids health. Tourism activities link to a 59 percent lower relative risk of dementia, and trips connect to greater social ties.
Travel benefits people at every life stage. Older adults receive mental stimulation while traveling, middle-aged adults see lower stress levels, and younger travelers may ease feelings of isolation that affect many Americans between ages 20 and 29.
Travel forms part of Baby Boomers' legacy plans. With roughly 85 trillion dollars in U.S. wealth under their stewardship, Baby Boomers are reshaping legacy ideas by focusing on shared memories through experiences such as trips with younger family members.
The economic effect is large. In 2024 American travelers produced 2.9 trillion dollars in economic output from 1.3 trillion dollars in direct spending, and 57 percent of families say they have taken or plan to take multigenerational trips.
Access hurdles persist. Cost remains a barrier to wider multigenerational travel because most household funds go toward housing, food, and healthcare, leaving smaller amounts for leisure such as trips.

"Travel represents a personal commitment to health, well-being, family connection, and life quality that can deliver returns across generations," said Catherine Collinson, CEO and President of Transamerica Institute. "Unlocking the complete value of multigenerational travel calls for joint efforts among industry, policy, and workplaces to make its gains reachable for people from all economic backgrounds and budgets."

Travel for Healthy Longevity: Health and Economic Benefits of Multigenerational Travel continues earlier work including Leveraging Travel as a Catalyst for Healthy Longevity (2025) and Journey to Healthy Aging: Planning for Travel in Retirement (2013).

For more information, please contact:

Melissa Gong Mitchell, Executive Director, Global Coalition on Aging

[email protected]

Catherine Collinson, CEO and President, Transamerica Institute

[email protected]

About Global Coalition on Aging

The Global Coalition on Aging works to change how global leaders view and ready themselves for the major population aging shift of the twenty-first century. GCOA unites global corporations from many sectors that share strategic interests in aging populations, a full and systematic grasp of aging, and a positive outlook on its effects. Visit globalcoalitiononaging.com.

About Transamerica Institute

Transamerica Institute is a nonprofit private operating foundation focused on spotting, studying, and informing the public about retirement security and the links between health and financial well-being. Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies, a division of Transamerica Institute, runs one of the largest and longest-running yearly retirement surveys of its type. Visit www.transamericainstitute.org.

ENDNOTES

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SOURCE Transamerica Institute