5 myths about Millennial travelers
It’s no secret that Millennials love to travel, and their wanderlust and spending habits are redefining the world of tourism. Also known as Generation Y, Millennials are typically defined as young adults born after 1982. But are they really so different from Gen Xers or even Baby Boomers? Here are five myths about Millennial travelers. MILLENNIALS ARE EXTREMELY BUDGET-CONSCIOUS WHEN THEY TRAVEL. This is a common tag for Millennials, and it makes sense, given the people of this generation, just beginning their careers, are concerned about money.
Many of them are bound by modest budgets, agrees Steve Lima, marketing manager of G Adventures, which is designed for Millennial travelers, “but we find that the typical Millennial traveling on a group tour with G Adventures spends, on average, $2,600 per person before flights, and chooses trips that are eight to 10 days in length. These are not ‘all-inclusive’ trips. Our younger customers are choosing to pay for local food, sustainable operations, and to tip local guides, whose incomes greatly depend on tourist dollars.”
Some Millennials will spend even more — a lot more, in some cases.
“We’ve had Millennials books safaris in Tanzania and boutique hotels in Bali,” observes Lisa Leavitt of Active Travels. “They just want to make sure they’re spending their hard-earned money wisely and enjoying memorable experiences.” THEY ONLY WANT TO GO TO PARTY DESTINATIONS AND HANG WITH OTHER MILLENNIALS. It might seem that way from media reports and ads targeting Millennials. But the truth is a bit different.
“Actually, they strive for the most authentic experience, wanting to live like a local whatever destination they desire,” says Leavitt. “Many seek adventure and want us to get them there the most cost-effective way.”
It’s a similar story from Geckos Adventures, which organizes group trips for travelers ages 18 to 29.
“We don’t do ‘booze cruises’ or similar types of trips,” says Leigh Barnes, north america regional director for Geckos. “We show this age group the world, affordably and immersive, traveling to bucket-list destinations like the Taj Mahal, Everest Base Camp, and on safaris in Africa and Bangkok. Take Morocco, for example. It is a predominantly Muslim country, and while not officially ‘dry’, there are rules around alcohol consumption and limited supplies of booze, even in tourist spots. For Geckos Adventures, interest in Morocco is up 30% in 2017 among American travelers.”
While G Adventures sees some of their Millennial customers choosing popular party destina- tions such as Cambodia and Thailand, Lima says that “their motivations are well beyond booze and bars.” Their popular trips include physically challenging trips such as hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, trekking the Torres del Paine W in Patagonia, or traversing the Druk Path in Bhutan. THEY ARE OBSESSED WITH THE INTERNET, SO STAYING CONNECTED IS THEIR NO. 1 PRIORITY. “It’s why we love this generation, because they’ll use all modes of social media — Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, SnapChat — to post photos from their trip,” says Leavitt. “We get to follow every exciting moment of their journey.”
But not all of them fall asleep with their iPhones in hand.
“A number of them also just want to turn off, escape work and get absorbed in the moment,” Leavitt adds. “This is especially true if they’re more active and spending their vacation biking, hiking and rafting.
Lima says connectivity is important at G Adventures and that “to meet these needs, we are designing and upgrading digital connectivity on more and more of our vessels and overland vehicles.”
But like Leavitt, Lima sees an increasing number of Millennials turning off their devices and booking off-the-grid trips, such as sailing adventures, remote homestays and treks well off the beaten path. “Sometimes,” says Lima, “we all need a digital detox.” THEY PREFER COUCH-SURFING AND AIRBNB TO TRADITIONAL HOTELS OR TOURS. Not true. Millennials, it seems, “are like everyone else these days, finding the best form of lodging depending on their needs,” Leavitt says. “If they’re going with a big group, they’ll ask about villas in Rivera Maya or all-inclusives. If they’re headed to the Big Island on their own, we often seek out more residential Airbnbs or small inns off the radar. But if they’re headed to Barcelona, Paris, or Amsterdam, they tend to want boutique design properties, preferably with a rooftop bar.”
Accommodations on Geckos trips, notes Barnes, are far from traditional. In addition to camping, they offer locally-owned hotels and inns, guest houses and tea houses, as well as home stays.
Barnes adds that “Millennials know budget doesn’t have to mean basic. They want things and experiences that have a story attached to it, which is why Airbnb has such appeal.” MILLENNIALS PREFER TO BOOK TRIPS THEMSELVES. Guess what? Travel agents and travel planners are all over Millennials, and the love is returned. This may be the most surprising fact of all. In a June 2016 report, Skift found that Millennials are more likely than any other U.S. demographic to use travel agents. The report found that 30% of Millennial travelers have used an agent within the last 12 months.
Lima says that one out of every five Millennials is using a travel agent to help make decisions and find the best deals. “The no-cost expertise and planning work of a travel agent is a strong motivator for Millennials, who are bombarded with a flood of apps, emails, and paid ads on social media, and may find themselves overwhelmed by the choices.”