Locals in Australian country towns are struggling to cope with an influx of “grey nomads” – travelling retirees taking extended camping and caravan holidays as they head north for winter, according to the ABC.
Grey nomads are seen by some as vital to Australia’s tourist industry, as the weakening Aussie dollar and various other factors point to a boom in domestic holidays.
But while caravan holidays are growing steadily in popularity – experiencing double-digit growth in most states – tourist hotspots are feeling the strain. There’s talk of friction, with not all travellers prepared to take time to adjust to laidback tropical lifestyles.
ABC Kimberley looked at the situation recently and found that while small towns appreciated the increase in business seniors brought, some townsfolk said “grumpy” seniors sometimes left them feeling overwhelmed.
The ABC says the arrival of grey nomads – officially defined as Australians aged over 55 who travel for an extended time, from weeks to months – can create stresses in places where tourists outnumber ratepayers. It notes that the population of Broome can triple from June to September as the grey nomads arrive by the hundreds.
ABC Kimberley quoted Western Australian Local Government Association president, Lynne Craigie, who said that the number of people coming into small towns represented a big challenge, including “where to fit them”.
“People can be a little short,” Craigie said – not referring to height. Grey nomads often drive for more than 300km in a day. “Sometimes [the long drives] can lead them to be a bit snappy,” Craigie observed.
Reports say arguments have broken out at Broome’s only carwash. Supermarkets also see the effect, with resident Alice Best telling the ABC how she was about to pick up the last loaf of bread when “this woman pushed my hand away and snatched the loaf from underneath me”.
Locals may have to get used to it. According to the Caravan Industry Association of Australia, when it comes to total nights, the older non-working “grey nomad” demographic leads the way, accounting for 32% of total nights spent on caravan and camping trips, narrowly beating the family segment at 30%.
Written by Peter Needham
.jpg){kind=tracking}