UNDERSTANDING THE OLDEST-OLD: WHY THEY DO NOT TRAVEL

Those constituting the old proportion of our population in the United States who are 65 and over are expanding at a rapid rate. In particular, the number of oldest-old, those who are 85 or older, are actually increasing at a faster rate in comparison to young-olds (65-74) and old-olds (75-84). However, in the research community, an often-neglected segment of old-age is unfortunately the oldest-old. As leisure research continues revealing the tremendous impact leisure and tourism involvement has on one's quality of life and its power to predict one's life satisfaction, it is crucial for tourism professionals to identify travel-related barriers for individuals of advanced age so older individuals can sustain their leisure engagement. This study, by comparing the perceived travel constraints of the oldest-old with the young-old and old-old, identifies travel barriers specific to the oldest-old. The findings of this study will help tourism professionals to assist those belonging to this segment of the old population in negotiating their constraints, enabling them to continue enjoying leisure travel as they advance in age.