The Global Coalition on Aging (GCOA) and non-profit Transamerica Institute has called for action to boost travel as a catalyst for longevity.
The call follows the launch of the CGOA and Transamerica Institute report Leveraging Travel as a Catalyst for Healthy Longevity that highlights the transformative role of travel in fostering longer, healthier lives.
Whether taking a daytrip to local attraction, a weekend getaway, or a longer vacation to a faraway place, travel can yield these health benefits across all budgets. Drawing insights from an expert roundtable conducted in Fall 2024, the report recommends integrating travel into public health strategies and economic development plans.
Research shows that travel enhances physical health, cognitive resilience, and social engagement – key parts of healthy and healthful aging.
Regular travel is linked to a 36.6 per cent lower mortality risk and up to a 47 per cent reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease through activities that promote movement, cultural engagement, and community connection.
Despite these benefits, the role of travel in healthy ageing remains unrecognised.
“The travel sector, like healthcare and financial services, should be booming as the world’s age 50+ population grows. Yet, despite their spending power and increasing recognition of travel’s health benefits, older adults are often overlooked as a market opportunity,” said Michael Hodin, CEO of GCOA.
“It’s time to reposition travel as an essential part of healthy aging and economic growth, rather than just a recreational activity.”
Some of the key findings from the report include travel ranking among the top retirement aspirations among people around the world, that travel plays a transformative role in healthy ageing, travel connects people and fosters community across generations, and that the healthy longevity opportunity could be a game changer for the travel industry and global economy.
The organisations have stated that public-private collaborations are needed to maximise the full potential of travel for healthy ageing, yet, fully realising these opportunities requires strategic action.
I order to do this, the report outlines three key recommendations including increasing awareness and research, strengthening the narrative on travel’s health benefits through evidence-based advocacy, elevating travel’s role in healthy ageing through a compelling narrative and data-driven advocacy, and engaging policymakers to integrate travel into public health and economic strategies.
It also recommends fostering Public-Private collaboration to work across sectors to create more inclusive, age-friendly travel experiences.
“Public-private collaborations are essential to unlocking the full potential of travel as a catalyst for healthy ageing,” said Catherine Collinson, founding CEO and president of Transamerica Institute.
“By combining efforts, expertise, and vision, we can create opportunities for older adults to thrive, improve well-being, and drive economic growth in ways no single entity could achieve alone.”
In the coming months, GCOA and Transamerica Institute aim to work with roundtable participants and invite additional stakeholders to come together in partnership to fully leverage travel as a path to healthy and happy longevity.
