Senior Living

2012 shaping up to be a great year for senior travel

Many people have a dream destination they've always wanted to visit. Whether it be historical or tropical, it may have seemed like it was always out of reach due to financial concerns or simply poor timing. However, experts say that 2012 may be the year to take advantage of low prices and go on that long-desired trip, AARP reports.

While it may not be as much of a buyer's market as the last couple years have been, 2012 is still shaping up to be a good one for people looking to make leisure travel part of senior living - they just need to go about it wisely. A lot depends on when a person decides to take a trip, analysts say. Visiting destinations during so-called "shoulder seasons" - the period of time between the busy season and off season - is ideal. Travelers will experienced discounted rates and lower crowds, but still get to enjoy the near-prime conditions, according to AARP.

Boomers looking to take a trip should also make use of social media to find good deals. There are a number of ways to use websites like Facebook and Twitter to save money when planning a vacation. Everything from hotels to airlines often use such sites to reveal deals and promotions during anniversaries or other milestones.

"Often special offers, promotions and other activities take place around these types of events and it’s a great way to experience the venue or locale," industry insider Mike Taylor told the website.

Anybody thinking about traveling frequently later in life will want to factor vacations into their retirement financial planning. A popular way to raise money for travel plans is through life settlements, which lets boomers sell an unneeded life insurance policy for a portion of the face value. In fact, a recent survey from International Communications Research found that 78 percent of respondents believe retirement planners should talk about the practice of retirement vacationing.