Red Hot Topic #7: Generation Gap or Flap?
Posted by Liz Jordan | Filed under Red Hot Topics, Travel Marketing, Trends
The question: do Gen Y, Gen X, Young Boomers, Older Boomers and Mature Travelers in the U.S. approach their leisure travel decisions differently? Logic says “yes,” but some statistics* help make the case that the generation gap may not be as wide as you think. Consider the takeaways from these five travel trends the generations have in common.
1. Researching travel online (but not loving it).
Travelers of all ages participate in online research—but that doesn’t mean they love the experience. Well over half in all ages found online research easy enough, but when asked if they enjoyed it, the percentages dropped around 20%—no matter which generation they fell into. Trend Takeaway: make sure your online content satisfies the traveler’s need for information and value.
2. Booking online.
It’s no surprise that Gen Y and Gen X account for 52% of online travel. But look at that statistic again: that means that 48% of online travel falls in the Boomer and Mature Traveler segments. And older travelers tend to book directly with suppliers. Trend Takeaway: make sure your online booking engine is user-friendly for older travelers as well as younger.
3. Staying within budget.
It’s hardly any revelation that Mature Travelers are most conscious of staying within a travel budget. But what’s interesting is that a good-sized percentage of all generations will forgo their first choice destination rather than go over budget. The spread between Gen Y and Mature Travelers is less than 10 percentage points. Trend Takeaway: price and value continue to be important to all U.S. travelers.
4. Willing to splurge on travel for the right reason.
However, almost as many travelers (with very similar percentages across all generations) are willing to splurge on a special vacation. Trend Takeaway: highlight emotional reasons to splurge on travel, such as special milestones, and create packages to address those triggers.
5. Relying on friends and family.
All generations rely heavily on the recommendations of friends and family for travel purchases. In fact, a tip from someone trusted is likely to be twice as effective as a travel ad. What happens when you combine this trend with the growing acceptance of social media in the Boomer and Mature Traveler segments? Trend Takeaway: ramp up social media strategies and make it easy for travelers of all ages to share your content on their social networks.
*North American Technographics Travel Online Study, Q1 2010
