Netherlands, courtesy Globus Family of Brands

Baby boomers are no passive travelers.

When it comes to planning a trip, boomers demand a measure of control of their tour itineraries. Tell them they can have options A, B and C, and they’ll want options D and E — and something else that’s not on the agenda.

Ranging in age from their late 40s to their mid-60s, boomers make it clear to travel marketers: “I want it my way.”

“Boomers are such a large chunk of the population. They’re the future of travel,” explained Mike Schields, a managing director at Globus. “They’ll dictate the direction of escorted and leisure travel. It’s challenged us to remake our travel portfolio.”

Schields said the boomer mindset is one of doing rather than just seeing. Instead of pins on a map, it is experiences in unique places.

“Twenty years ago, seniors took motorcoaches and toured Rome. Boomers want dinner with the owner of a private villa in Tuscany. So we immerse people in unique experiences,” said Schields.

Globus developed the Favorites tour series to introduce boomers and others to their destinations’ hidden gems with behind-the-scenes activities.

“Boomers want Chile, Argentina, Peru and Brazil for some soft-adventure stuff,” Schields said. “Boomers aren’t afraid to spend extra to do these things. They’re big on bucket lists.”

Tony Etienne, an executive with Collette Vacations agreed. “In the last few years, there have been upticks in certain destinations, both in interest and in bookings,” he said.

Etienne mentioned Ireland as an example. Travelers aged 45 to 80 often want to go there. Before, most got a 10- to 12-day escorted package with sightseeing in the usual spots. Now they want to learn about the culture and people, get off the beaten path, take a farm visit, eat a meal with a local family or see a whiskey distillery.

The same is true for Italy. Boomers go for religious purposes or to eat their way across the country.