'Golden Boldies' More Active Than Ever

They want to see the world and explore unknown destinations. They want to eat things they have never heard of. They want to abseil and scuba dive.

No we're not talking about gap year students... these are a new generation dubbed the ‘Golden Globetrotters' - and they're likely to be a pensioner. New research has revealed that it is the more mature generation that make the most adventurous travellers, with over 4.6 million UK ‘pensioners' spending their free time travelling to exotic locations, trying new things and meeting new people. Research revealed that:

· 35 percent of those aged 55 and over prefer to travel away from the beaten track on holiday - a higher figure than any of the younger generations.

· Whereas 56 percent of the over 55s crave a holiday which allows them to see something new every day, the younger generation are much more likely to want to spend a week lying on a beach.

· 10 percent aged over 55 has abseiled, one in two has eaten something when they didn't know what it was and one in 25 have done a parachute jump.

Not only are they more adventurous with what they do, but the study revealed Golden Globetrotters - or Boldies as they are also known - are also far more frequent with their trips away than the younger generation.

Psychologist Dr David Lewis explains: "In the past many people felt trapped by some of the myths of ageing imposed by society. Myths like ‘You can't teach an old dog new tricks' or ‘Act your age'. Today more and more people over the age of 50 are refusing to become victims of chronology. Increasing numbers are prepared to strike out into unfamiliar territory, to visit new places and take on unfamiliar challenges. "In relation to travel, this is due to several factors. Golden Globetrotters gain encouragement from the fact that increasing numbers of their generation are grabbing life by the horn and modern media gives them a wider awareness of what is happening in the world. They often have a more balanced and mature approach to travel that comes from greater experience of life in general. In addition they may be bored with familiar places which they perhaps visited with their children, and that goes hand in hand with a natural desire to recapture some of the excitement and challenge of their carefree youth."