As seen in : Baby Boomers Traveling

Boomer
Are we talking about the adult male kangaroo in Australia nicknamed "Boomer"? Or about someone who was born during the period of increased birth rates when economic prosperity rose in many countries following World War II? Both species love their freedom...  

As a guy born in The Netherlands in the early sixties, who later studied travel marketing, I have often asked myself the question: “Why is this group of consumers so interesting to us?” As a child of a Baby Boomer couple, I have to tell you that I do realize how different my youth must have been from yours and I do realize that we all make choices based on very different experiences (and sometimes values) including our travel decisions...

I recently started my own travel company for individual travel to Europe, together with two other professionals. It’s not my first company as I already own a travel wholesaler but this time I’m focusing strictly on the Baby Boomer generation. 
 
My biggest passion is travel: to meet new people, discover other places and be amazed by the variety of cultures and habits that are often so different from ours. Do you recognize that feeling in yourself? 
 
And it’s so much easier now. You don’t need to speak (all of) their language (most Europeans speak English anyways), you don’t need the old fashioned ‘money belt’ or to know the exact opening hours of banks. Two or so credit cards will do the trick. 
 
Here, at Europe Lives (that’s the name of my company) we like simplicity as the best things in life are the simple things (recognize Joe Cocker’s lyrics?). 
 
Europe Lives provides an organizational framework so you can focus on what you really want – experiencing Europe face-to-face in a way that's extremely personal. We understand your needs and so crafted a new selection of on-the-ground trips designed for independent Boomers who want to connect with real people and authentic places in a meaningful way. 
 
Each of our self-guided trips is deliberately crafted to maximize encounters with local culture. We encourage our customers to shop and eat in local markets and advise them on undiscovered restaurants and routes along roadways that maximize the opportunity to engage with locals and discover a unique region. Each trip is also tailored to allow travelers to stay in small, locally owned inns where they can experience authentic Europe. 
 
Our tours include a wonderful walking trip along the Chianti vineyards in Tuscany, a combined driving and walking trip to the fascinating Pilgrims Trail to Santiago de Compostela, and a bicycle trip from Amsterdam into the Dutch countryside to meet with locals. 
 
I’d love to hear what you think about our trips as we would like to learn from Boomers' experiences. I encourage you to drop me a line or connect with us through Facebook. The world is so much closer than we often think thanks to modern technology. Please visit our website at: europelives.com.