Divers or Divas? A Market Analysis of the Mature Aged Female Diver: An Australian Perspective

Abstract

If you ask the average person to describe a scuba diver, you would probably receive comments such as strong, young, athletic, male, and a bit of a daredevil. However, recent research into the highest growth sector of diver training reveals women over 40 are signing on for dive training in unprecedented numbers. Dive service providers and tourist destination promoters may be missing opportunities to market effectively to attract this dynamic group, using a "one size fits all" approach and potentially losing sales opportunities for equipment, courses, dive travel, and more. This study examines the mature aged female diver, revealing new demographic data, information about their dive travel preferences, how much they spend on diving holidays, and other information useful to dive and tourism industry stakeholders. A web-based survey was used to study 111 female divers over age 40. The average age of participants was 51 to 55, and most had logged over 100 dives. The results depicted participants as a vibrant part of the diving community, with money to spend and the desire to travel. Safety in dive operations was identified as a priority as was small-group travel. Spending over $500 a day on international diving trips, they represent an untapped and lucrative market segment. This study aims to contribute new insight into this dynamic and motivated market segment. Findings will assist dive tourism service providers and destination marketers to better understand this segment, to create attractive products and services to tap into this lucrative market.