May 17, 2016

by Tammy Sachs, CEO

As someone who has studied how people embrace and use technology since my 20’s, no generation is more fascinating than Boomers (whose first experience was the PC and had to learn to use smart devices and apps.) Not to mention, they were the first generation to embrace youth hostels and discovery travel.

Their sheer buying power and attitude is ripe for the benefits of a technology-fueled mobile life. Bye bye books. I have 10 on my tablet. Bye bye cable. I can watch on-demand when I travel the globe. Bye bye office. I can work on my terms wherever I am. All I need is strong WiFi and battery life.

Source: https://www.airbnb.com/

Boomers have all the money, time and interest in discovering the world and they were the ones who grooved on communal living. Who better to embrace AirBnB, where you can live with the locals and bring your family along, than those 60+?

AirBnB has been slow to pick up on this and figure out what easy filters give Boomers the kind of experiential hosts they’ll bond with… not to mention the imagery on the site that engages them vs. someone in their thirties. For fun, watch the hero video on their website to see how many people over 40 you can count.

Source: AirBnB

So I laughed when AirBnB went Down Under to Australia and New Zealand to partner with Over60. Do we not have enough Boomers in the U.S.? I’d love to see them do some ethnographic research to find out what Boomers could tell AirBnB about the kind of properties, hosts and associated services that would make hotels passe. And what images they could incorporate on their website that speak to anyone over 60? Boomers are a wonderful force to be reckoned with and a very profitable one to embrace. And every 8 seconds someone turns 65. That is a lot of houses to rent short and long term, around the globe.