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expect a great deal but are also willing to dig deep into their pockets to finance their vacation travels. But the 50+ target group is very heterogeneous, “
For today’s over 50 year-olds, age itself doesn’t mean that much anymore,
” explains Andreas Casdorff, head of product Line Management and Development for TUI Germany,
“because these peoples’ self-image has changed a lot.”
Characters and life situations of people aged 50+ are quite varied . Some are still working, while others are already retired . Frequently, people who just crossed the 50s threshold still have their children living with them, while older representatives of this target group are already grandparents.
“From these criteria, quite different vacation needs
arise
,”
explains Casdorff – and these different parameters have consequences for the sales approach .
    That is why the tour operator first analysed the following questions, independently from the age issue: What is the target group’s motive for a vacation? What do these people expect from a vacation? What do they want to experience while on vacation? What are their value orientations?
    The over 50 group’s younger representatives still show a presence in almost all the TUI product segments. They book relaxation and wellness offers just as often as activity vacations. However, there is a clear distinction between customers over 60 and the younger representatives of the target group,
“As the 60+ customers don’t have to go to work anymore, their social
environment
may have become
noticeablyrestricted
,”
Casdorff elucidates ,
“so when this target group takes a vacation, the concept of community takes on a more important role.”
The TUI product Club Elan caters precisely to these needs. Club Elan is the centre point for the older customers, the creation of a community, and stands in the foreground of all activities.
    The community aspect in turn contributes to the acquisition of new customers, especially among the 50+ crowd . Older people, especially, talk a lot about their vacation experiences. So there is a relatively high probability that a satisfied customer will bring in a new one.
    Club Elan is one of the most actively pursued products in TUI’s customer relationship management.
“Direct communication with the target group is an important subject,”
says Andreas Casdorff,
“and that is why we designed a website for Club Elan, where customers are able to communicate either with TUI or with each other.”
With support of the Club Elan website, which, according to Casdorff, is used enthusiastically by the older customers, TUI is keeping its customer relationships going year-round and is keeping the brand in the customers’ consciousness . Another factor contributing to success is Club Elan’s own customer magazine, which is sent to customers several times per year with the idea of tying them to the brand.
“This medium, too, meets this target group’s high demand for communication. The customer magazine offers customers the chance to publish their own articles, such as travel reports. That way the target group
remains
involved in the brand world because it
regards
this TUI medium, the one it co-designs, as its own,”
says Casdorff.
    Conclusion: Differentiating their sales approach according to the various vacation needs of the 50 and over customers pays off for TUI.
    The customised offers for older travellers produce growth rates of over 20 %. Customer loyalty is enormous. 83% of all Club Elan customers have booked this offer at least twice before.
    With travel operator brands such as TUI, Dr. Tigges, Airtours, 1-2-Fly, L’Tur, or Wolters Reisen, TUI Deutschland GmbH is the leading travel and leisure time business in Germany and a 100% daughter of the TUI AG. In the fiscal year 2004, its 58000 employees made 18 billion Euros in sales.
     
Palabras para recordar
long-term retention: lasting preservation, longstanding maintenance
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