The travel experiences that people over 70 regret not having done when they were younger have been revealed – and it’s seeing the Northern Lights that’s number one.
Nearly two-fifths (39 per cent) of Britons over 70 say they regret missing out on watching the aurora borealis light up the sky.
The experience is followed in joint second place by visiting the Maldives, seeing the Great Pyramids of Giza, visiting Machu Picchu and seeing Niagara Falls – 19 per cent of older people regret not experiencing each of these travel highlights.
Visiting India’s Taj Mahal (3rd, 18 per cent) is also something that the over 70s are disappointed to have missed out on.
The ranking is based on a new survey by the adventure travel company Explore Worldwide, which found that the majority of people aged 70 or over harbor ‘travel regrets’.
The travel experiences that people over 70 regret not having done when they were younger have been revealed – and it’s seeing the Northern Lights that’s number one
In conducting the study, the travel brand surveyed more than 500 Britons aged 70 or over, asking them about the travel experiences around the world that they wish they had experienced.
Other top-ranking experiences that the over 70s wished they hadn’t missed out on were walking the Great Wall of China (4th, 17 per cent), seeing the ruins of Petra in Jordan (joint 5th, 13 per cent) and doing an African safari (5th joint, 13 per cent).
Doing a road trip in California (6th, 11 per cent) is another activity that people say they wish they had experienced.
Outside of the top 10, further travel experiences that over the 70s travelers regret missing out on are going to Japan to see the springtime cherry blossoms, visiting the Italian Lakes, seeing the Norwegian fjords and driving Route 66.
Nineteen per cent of the older generation regret not seeing the Great Pyramids of Giza
Failing to see Machu Picchu in Peru, pictured, is a major travel regret for over 70s
Failing to visit New York and seeing a Broadway show is another regret, as is doing more long-distance train travel, such as traveling on The Ghan railway line in Australia.
In general, 62 per cent say there is somewhere in the world they regret never having visited, with Australia, New Zealand, the US, Japan, and Canada among the countries mentioned most frequently.
Elsewhere in the study, more than 500 Britons aged between 40 to 55 years old were surveyed to discover the travel experiences that they hope to achieve in the next decade or two.
It found that people in their mid-life harbor a strong desire to see more of the world in the years to come.
The most popular travel ‘hope’ for mid-lifers mirrors the regrets of the older generation – seeing the Northern Lights is No. 1 (46 per cent) followed by a visit to the Maldives (2nd, 35 per cent).
After that it’s lying on a beach in the Mediterranean (3rd, 33 per cent); seeing Niagara Falls (4th, 30 per cent); going to Disneyland or Disney World (5th, 29 per cent); doing a Californian road trip (6th, 26 per cent); doing a European cruise (7th, 24 per cent); and partying in Las Vegas (8th, 23 per cent).
Nearly one-fifth of over 70s regret never holidaying in the Maldives (above)
Not seeing Niagara Falls (above) is a major regret for 19 per cent of Britons aged over 70
The rest of the list comprises doing an African safari (9th, 21 per cent); seeing the Great Pyramids of Giza (10th, 20 per cent); visiting the Taj Mahal, doing a gondola ride in Venice and walking the Great Wall of China (joint 11th, six per cent); and visiting Machu Picchu (12th, 15 per cent) and trekking the Inca Trail (13th, nine per cent).
A massive 85 per cent of mid-life people say they hope to visit a new country, with Italy, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and the US coming out as the most popular places that mid-lifers want to visit in the next ten to twenty years.
Commenting on the survey’s findings, Michael Edwards, Managing Director at Explore, said: ‘By sharing the travel hopes and regrets of different generations, we hope to inspire people to book that special adventure they’ve been dreaming about.
‘The biggest travel regrets include never seeing natural and historical wonders, like the Northern Lights, Machu Picchu or the Maldives islands. These natural and historical wonders help to connect us to our planet and our past, something that becomes more important to us as we grow older.’
He continues: ‘We’ve just launched a new map (inspired by David Attenborough) which allows you to plot your travel history onto an interactive map, as well as plotting the places you still want to explore. With our research showing that so many people aged over 70 regret not having visited more of the world, we hope our new map encourages travelers to keep on discovering new things.’
For the full survey findings and to see the interactive map, visit explore.co.uk.
