They come as a new generation of travelers due to the widespread use of technology, the millennials’ travel trends have taken over the industry and the market sees tremendous changes in order to adapt to their likes and dislikes. Marketing experts worldwide monitor the emerging trends of this ever-shifting market and seek ways to position their clients according to the demand. To give you an idea we have summarized some info that will help you adapt for success.
Know your Guests – Who are the Millennials?
Born between ‘80s and ‘00s, they compose approximately the one-quarter of the global population and they have been reported to be the most diverse generation. Workaholics, crazy shopaholics with high interest in technology and travel, Millennials are nowadays one of the largest market groups with the highest spending power comparing to the rest of the demographic cohort. They are adventurers to the soul and they seek to seize every moment of their life, thus the moto “you only live once” that they embrace. The latter has generated into them the fear of missing out (FOMO), thus they ditch the stereotypes and want to experience life to the fullest. When traveling, they get involved in activities, try local cuisines and go the extra mile to discover authenticity along to the hidden gems of a destination.
To help you keep up with the times, we have gathered all the top Millennial trends to pay attention to and adopt in your strategy, whether you run an Airbnb, a Hotel or a even a Hostel.
Engage with them – what do they want?
Millennials Crave Authenticity
We tickle the travel buzzword, but we can’t argue that this trend is disrupting massively the way a hospitality business serves its guests. Young people travel a lot and that’s a trend truly important to their generation. They want to experience traditions, but not in a traditional way as to them the days of all-inclusive packages and extensively guided tours are gone. Rather than just following a guide, they value discovering new things especially when this gets combined with picture-perfect moments which can be shared with their Instagram friends and followers worldwide.
Respond to their expectations and seek ways to fulfil their wants and needs. Having on mind their preferences, establish a partnership with a local travel agent that provides day trips or adventurous activities that will feed their hunger for excitement and wonder. Be also prepared to share with them restaurants, delis or brasseries recommendations that food bloggers or social media influencers suggest. Do not hesitate to even adopt such dishes with local products in your own food outlet and chase a collaboration with affiliates to get further promoted.
Connected 24/7
Millennials are extremely active online when it comes to travel with a high desire and reliance on connectivity. Instagram is thriving today and picture-perfect hotel rooms can easily get sold out just by focusing on their social media pages. With the user relying highly on his smartphone device, there is no doubt that this is a channel to be left unattended.
Start by setting up the basics, your Millennial guests expect nothing but the best internet speed at no extra cost. Jumping on the social media side of it, if you haven’t created any page yet, leave any marketing activity you have on the side and focus on its creation. Following this path, you will also get the chance to engage with them and add your personal touch while they search and plan to book with you. Lastly, liking, following and watching your content will make them remember you after checking-out, and there is a high chance that this interaction leads to revisiting or referring your property to their friends.
Instant Communication
Taking into account their connected life, Millennials have little to no patience when it comes to responsiveness. They expect you to be reachable and available for them whenever needed and especially if something arises during the booking process. The online experience matters a lot to them and they can easily turn down the process if it doesn’t get completed within few clicks.
Despite the listings on OTAs that you possible hold, make sure you provide a seamless booking experience that can be accessed from any device by embedding a responsive booking engine on your direct website. Adopting such a function for your guest will prevent them from visiting multiple pages and get them directly to the decision-making to book with you or not.
Appealing Online Reviews
Your reviews matter to Millenials and represent an important factor when deciding to book with you. When planning a trip, they will visit various sites and check out reviews of your guests to ensure a pleasant stay that will satisfy their expectations.
It is usual and normal to receive every now and then negative reviews as operations sometimes do fail to succeed and mistakes occur. It is your reply to them that Millenials and generally the rest of generations will spot, so maintaining a positive online reputation is a must. Take the time, listen to your customers’ feedback, acknowledge their perspective and respond, as Management Responses are truly important.
Digital Payments
Millennials nowadays keep less and less cash on them and rely highly on every digital method the wave of digitization has brought, especially when traveling and currency exchange is needed. Paypal, E-wallets, Credit Card Payments, fintech alternatives have been a trend to follow as they consider it an easy-to-use and safe method to keep track of their spending, plus avoiding the hassle of exchanging amounts at a good rate.
Be aware and open to follow this technology and acquire any machine needed to support it. As a next step consider going also paperless and you will eliminate the hidden costs of receipts. Do you see a challenge? We see a positive change, widely known as an environmental friendly practice among the Millennials who tend to be more and more conscious about deforestation and sustainability.
Conclusion
Millennials are definitely a growing market to pay close attention to, especially to the insights that have a strong impact on the business you are running within the hospitality sector. The 24/7 connectivity that characterizes them affects highly their decision making when it comes to travel. Living like a local is central to their experience and they tend to look for more localized services with personalized touches. To thrive in this market, make sure you are on the same page with their wants and needs and offer them an authentic approach that goes along to their digital habits.
