I’m 53 and in Costa Rica we proudly claim our age. In 2019 I fractured my shoulder mountain biking at 15,000 feet in Colombia’s Los Nevados National Park. Four months later, I was kayaking between icebergs in Antarctica. If the travel industry thinks women my age wants ‘easy’ trips, they’re missing the point. A month later Anne Lorimor (89 years old) from Arizona became the oldest person to summit Kilimanjaro at the age of 89 years and 37 days!!. According to AARP, women over 50 drive 85% of consumer spending, yet adventure brands act like we’re erased from the narrative. The adventure travel industry for women over 50 definitely needs to catch up!
The Reality Check
Q: When did you realize adventure travel for Women Over 50 Is Being Ignored?
A: When I did the math: A 2021 study of 1,000 outdoor magazine covers found only 4% featured women over 50, and 0% showed them in “high-risk” activities (e.g., rock climbing, mountaineering). (1)
According to AARP, women over 50 will control 75% of global discretionary spending by 2028 (2), still on an ATTA report 72% of adventure companies prioritize marketing to travelers under 25-44, with only 11% specifically marketing to those over 55. (3)
Also, when I search for marketing images of women over 50 hiking glaciers, kayaking, surfing or biking mountains and find only 20-somethings or retirees on bus tours. Where are the photos of us? They don’t exist… yet. But they will. Because we’re not waiting for permission to be seen. We’ll post our own damn summit selfies, tag the brands that ignore us, and rewrite the narrative one adventure at a time.
Q: What’s your response to people who say ‘50 is the new 30’?
A: Nope. 50 is the upgraded 30. Back then, I had stamina but no cash or confidence. Now? I’ve got a ‘fuck-off fund,’ decades of hard-won resilience, and zero patience for anyone who thinks my SPF 50 is a metaphor for slowing down.
Kids are grown, careers are stable, and we’re done with society’s ‘gentle’ expectations.
Q: What do your 50+ friends actually want?
A: Safety without too much hand-holding. Deep cultural exchange, not just photo ops. Respect, not senior discounts. As I Travel Master and as a traveler, I want itineraries that show we paid attention and match not only your stamina but your curiosity. We’re not here for watered-down tours, we’re here to trek, paddle, and climb hard by day, then unwind like queens with spa treatments, gourmet meals and artisanal cocktails by night. We will go solo, with our ride-or-die crew, and with operators smart enough to treat us like athletes and connoisseurs. The industry needs to adjust the outdated idea of what women over 50 crave.
Q: Why the Industry Gets It Wrong?
- The Stereotype: Ads show women over 50 sipping wine on scenic overlooks, not rappelling into canyons.
- The Truth: A 2024 survey found 78% of women 50+ prioritize active, skill-building trips, yet only 12% of adventure companies target them.
Q: How Does Green Planet Do Adventure Differently?
. No “Senior” Versions
Our Patagonia trek and any other active trip has the same route for all, you choose your pace, not your age bracket.
. Real Risk, Real Support
We train guides to spot when someone’s pushing limits, without assuming they are fragile. As a guide training principle: “Rule #1: Never confuse ‘caution’ with ‘condescension.
. Community Built for Us
Pre-trip Teams calls connect travelers so you show up with friends, not strangers. Our trips evolve with traveler feedback. Solo doesn’t mean lonely. It means claiming your space in the wild, and finding women who’ll race you to the summit, then share their chocolate stash after.
. Together, On Your Terms
Adventure doesn’t have a right way to show up, only your way. Whether you’re:
- Solo, bonding with fellow travelers over Antarctic sunsets.
- With your partner, finally taking that dream trip now that the kids are grown.
- Leading the grandkids on their first Galapagos expedition (and schooling them on snorkeling).
- Or with your girl gang, rewriting the rules of “girls’ trips” (goodbye wine tours, hello volcano climbs).
Our trips are designed to fit your life, not stereotypes. No forced icebreakers, no age-based limits, just wild places and the freedom to explore them your way.
Choosing Between Principles and Passports: A Traveler’s Dilemma
It’s heartbreaking to see women forced to change their travel plans due to political tensions and safety concerns. While I deeply respect the power of protesting with our wallets, part of me grieves that we’ve reached a point where wanderlust must bow to bureaucracy. Haven’t governments intervened enough in our lives without dictating where we can explore safely? Or am I being naïve? Is this collective redirection of travel dollars not just a protest, but a necessary act of self-preservation? Either way, the irony isn’t lost on me: the very freedom to travel (which so many fought for) now feels like another privilege we must defend. Solidarity to all women making these impossible choices, I hope someday our passports carry less weight than our principles.
To Women 50+:
“You’re not ‘still’ adventurous, you’re peak adventurous. Let’s prove it! Age isn’t the limit, it’s the credential. Fractured shoulder? Been there. Antarctica? Done that. What’s next? Remember: You women, are no longer an afterthought, but the driving force of tomorrow’s travel industry, together we are rewriting the travel industry. Let’s travel like the pioneers we are.
Sources:
- Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning (2021).
- Aarp: https://www.aarp.org/content/dam/aarp/research/surveys_statistics/econ/2023/global-longevity-economy-women-report.doi.10.26419-2Fint.00052.079.pdf
- Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) October 2023 Industry Snapshot
- Kilimanjaro: https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2019/11/how-anne-lorimor-climbed-mount-kilimanjaro-at-89
Grettel Calderon, GPE Co-founder