From watching the Northern Lights to visiting the Great Pyramids of Giza, the travel experiences people over 70 regret not doing

The travel experiences that people over 70 didn’t have when they were younger have been uncovered – and seeing the Northern Lights is number one.

Almost two-thirds (39%) of Britons aged 70 and over say they regret not seeing the Aurora Borealis light up.

Experience comes in second with visiting the Maldives, the Great Pyramids of Giza, seeing Machu Picchu and Niagara Falls – 19 percent of seniors regret not having all of these travel highlights.

Unfortunately, the over-70s also missed out on a visit to the Taj Mahal in India (3rd place, 18 percent).

The rankings are based on a new survey by adventure travel agency Explore Worldwide, which found that the majority of people aged 70 and over “have travel regrets”.

In conducting the study, the travel brand surveyed more than 500 Britons aged 70 and over and asked them about the travel experiences around the world they would like to have.

Other top experiences over 70s won’t want to miss are walking the Great Wall of China (4th place, 17 percent), visiting the ruins of Petra in Jordan (each 5th place, 13 percent) and a African Safari (tie). 5th place, 13 percent).

Taking a drive in California (#6, 11 percent) is another activity people say they would like to have done.

Apart from the top 10, other travel experiences that travelers over 70 sadly missed out on are a trip to Japan to see the spring cherry blossoms, visit the Italian lakes, see the Norwegian fjords and drive Route 66.

Nineteen percent of the older generation regret not having seen the Great Pyramids of Giza

Not seeing Machu Picchu in Peru is a major travel regret for over 70s

Not visiting New York and not seeing a Broadway show is another regret, as are more long-distance train trips, like the United States. B. Travel on Australia’s Ghan Railway.

Overall, 62 per cent say there is one place in the world they regret never going to, with Australia, New Zealand, the US, Japan and Canada the most frequently mentioned countries.

Elsewhere in the study, more than 500 Britons aged 40 to 55 were surveyed to find out what travel experiences they would like to see in the next decade.

It seems that middle-aged people have a strong desire to see more of the world in the coming years.

The most popular “travel wishes” for midlifers reflect the regrets of the older generation – seeing the Northern Lights is number 1 (46 percent), followed by a visit to the Maldives (2nd place, 35 percent).

Then it’s to a Mediterranean beach (rank 3, 33 percent); see Niagara Falls (4th place, 30 percent); go to Disneyland or Disney World (5th place, 29 percent); take a road trip through California (#6, 26 percent); take a European cruise (7th place, 24 percent); and partying in Las Vegas (8th place, 23 percent).

Almost a fifth of over 70s regret never having holidayed in the Maldives (above)

19 percent of Britons over 70 have a deep regret of not seeing Niagara Falls (above).

The rest of the list consists of an African safari (9th place, 21 percent); see the Great Pyramids of Giza (10th, 20 percent); Visit the Taj Mahal, take a gondola ride in Venice and walk the Great Wall of China (tied 11th, six percent); and visit Machu Picchu (12th, 15 percent) and hike the Inca Trail (13th, nine percent).

A whopping 85 percent of middle-aged people say they would like to visit a new country, with Italy, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and the US emerging as the most popular places for middle-aged people to visit in the next decade. up to twenty years.

Commenting on the research, Michael Edwards, managing director at Explore, said: “By sharing the travel desires and regrets of generations, we hope to inspire people to book that special adventure they dream of.

“The biggest regret when you travel is that you never saw natural and historical wonders like the Northern Lights, Machu Picchu or the islands of the Maldives. These natural and historical wonders help us connect with our planet and our past, something that becomes more and more important to us as we age.”

He continues: “We’ve just released a new map (inspired by David Attenborough) that allows you to draw your itinerary on an interactive map and mark the places you still want to explore. With our research showing that so many over 70s regret not visiting more of the world, we hope our new map will encourage travelers to keep discovering new things.”