Millennial travelers embrace new technology, prefer recommendations from friends, and are more cautious in sharing personal information with travel providers.
These are the findings from the “Journey of Me Insights: What Asia Pacific Millennial Travelers Want” survey conducted by IT company Amadeus in collaboration with YouGov. The research surveyed 6,870 respondents, 45 percent of whom are millennials (defined as aged 18-35 at the time the data was collected), across 14 markets in the Asia Pacific.
They travel using new technology
More so than the generations that have come before them, millennials are embracing new technology, experiences, and ways of traveling. Forty two percent of millennials say they often use ride-sharing apps when they travel, and 35 percent frequently use sharing economy services for trip accommodation.
Targeting millennials’ desire for new experiences is a golden opportunity for travel providers. In fact, the research found that after recommendations that help them save money (37 percent), millennials are interested in recommendations that expose them to new experiences (27 percent). They are also open to travel providers sending them recommendations or updates through alternative platforms. In the Philippines, most millennials (47 percent) prefer to receive these recommendations or updates through email, followed by social media platforms (24 percent).
“The Millennial generation is indeed an extremely interesting generation. They grew up with the Internet, and technology is second skin to them. They have an openness to new experiences and a willingness to rattle the status quo. They want different experiences in travel, so the industry must serve them differently,” said Karun Budhraja, vice president for corporate marketing and communication in Asia Pacific of Amadeus.
He advised travel providers to “adopt new technology, new strategies, and above all, new mindsets if they want to secure millennial mind and market share.”
They prefer recommendations from real people
How influential are influencers? Not very, it seems. When asked who has the most influence over their travel planning, and from where they receive the most relevant travel recommendations, millennials choose family and friends as well as traveler reviews. Somewhat surprisingly, Gen Y travelers ranked celebrities and social media influencers last, even lower than brochures.
“With so many influencers becoming brands unto themselves, some of the authenticity that made them so appealing in the first place starts to get lost. ‘Real’ is more important than ‘perfect,’ and that is an important lesson for the industry to understand,” opined Budhraja.
They are cautious
Millennials have been branded bold and adventurous. The research found this true in some areas, but less so in others. Compared to older generations, millennials are less likely to avoid visiting a destination that has had a recent terror attack, political, or social uprising, or the likelihood of a natural disaster like an earthquake. While 59 percent of baby boomers would avoid a destination where natural disasters are likely, only 51 percent of millennials say the same.
But when it comes to sharing personal information with travel providers, Gen Y travelers are less open than older generations. Sixty-eight percent of baby boomers and 66 percent of Generation X travelers say they are open to sharing their information in return for more relevant offers or personalized services, while only 62 percent of all APAC millennials say likewise. This caution may be due to millennials being tech-savvy digital natives, and therefore more likely to be aware of security and privacy issues.
“While this research has highlighted a number of unique behaviors and preferences of APAC millennial travelers, it is also worth pointing out that there are just as many similarities between millennials travelers and other generations. Personalization is increasingly important, being real is key, and travelers want to be connected with the right content, through the right channel, and at the right time,” concluded Budhraja.
