The use of travel diaries in evaluating the perceptions of customer service encounters by senior travellers in Australia

Abstract

There is no doubt that the world is experiencing a major shift in the structure and profile of its population. The structural ageing of the world population results primarily from two significant demographic trends. First people are living longer; and secondly, fertility rates have declined (Andrews, 2002). It is projected that in the next 50 years the population of the older person will double to 1.9 billion in 2050 (Venne, 2005). This trend is exemplified in the demographics of Australia's ageing population. In 2005, 12.3% (approx 2.5 million) of the population was aged 65 and over, and it is projected that by 2050 this figure will rise to 23.9% (United Nations, 2005; Andrews, 2002).