Abstract:
The contemporary tourism market is characterized by the dynamic development of internet solutions and the growing share of seniors (60+ people) in the group of tourists. Therefore, the purpose of the article was to indicate the main socio-demographic factors conditioning access to modern information technologies and making a comparison between the use of tools dedicated to tourism by people over 60 years old and younger. In the introduction to the article, based on desk research and critical literature analysis presents considerations on the use of the Internet by seniors, which focus on the concept of digital divide, and points to arguments showing the growing potential of seniors in the tourism market. The main body is based on statistical analysis of data obtained from the survey conducted in 2019 on a group of 1067 inhabitants of the Zachodniopomorskie province (Poland). Using the Pearson chi independence test 2, the Mann-Whitney U test, and the Kruskal-Wallis test, it was confirmed that the relationship between the age and access to a computer and the Internet is significant. In addition, it was found that features such as place of residence and education are statistically significant, although their strength is weakening. Detailed analyses have shown differences in the use of modern solutions between seniors and younger groups, which proves still existing digital division of these groups. It was stated that actions leading to digital inclusion of seniors are necessary, which will reduce the differences in access to tourist services.
