Travel Intel on Millennials (and Everyone Else)

Image: PHOTO: Don't put Millennials in a corner, they are a much more complex group in terms of travel desires. (photo via Flickr/Andrew Hitchcock)

by Robin Amster
Last updated: 9:44 AM ET, Thu January 4, 2018

It's time to change some misconceptions about the Millenial traveler.

With all the research and talk about Millennials, it's important to note this generation is actually two, not one, according to researcher Jason Dorsey, co-founder of the Center for Generational Kinetics.

"The [Millennial] generation splits into two generations around the age of 30, those who are self-reliant and those who are still struggling at home," Dorsey said. "It's not acccurate to put Millennials in one box."

Millennials themselves, in fact, are tired of being called Millenials "because everyone thinks of this generation as 25-year-olds, who feel entitled and don't work," Dorsey added.

However, some Millennials are turning 40(!) in 2017, and this group is made up of highly-motivated individuals with careers and families, noted Dorsey who is 39.

He spoke during the Signature Travel Group's annual conference last month on findings from a report on generational consumer demands and travel consultants, co-sponsored by Signature and his company. The findings were based on an online survey of 1,000 adults, (21- to 65-years-old), who had either taken a leisure trip in the past 12 months or planned to take one in the next 12 months.

As the generation born between 1977 and 1999, Millennials now number 83 million in the U.S. and are the fastest growing generation in both the workforce and the marketplace, according to Dorsey.

Many of the report's findings echo the widely-reported results of other studies: Millennials are far more likely than other generations to use a travel agent; They want unique and customized travel experiences, and social media is the number one way for travel consultants to reach them.

The report also found that paying more for a leisure trip is consumers' top concern when it comes to using travel consultants. Fifty-one percent of travelers overall and 61 percent of Gen X'ers said this.

In other findings:

-Fifty-two percent of travelers said special pricing on trips will convince them to contact a travel consultant for more information, while 37 percent said special amenities or upgrades would also convince them.

-Forty-six percent of travelers said they'd recommend to friends and family a consultant who can add amentities to a trip.

-Only 34 percent of travelers said they would not pay extra for a consultant's help in planning the day-to-day itinerary for a leisure trip.

-Eight percent of Millennials-versus 2 percent of older generations-said a consultant's help is worth a fee.

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