Millennial Travel – It’s all about the experience

Written By

DEVENEY

Millennials are more influential than ever, having surpassed Baby Boomers as the nation’s largest demographic. They have buying power and they are shaking things up for marketers. When it comes to the travel industry, our partner DEVENEY looks at how marketers are having to shift traditional their messaging to get in touch with millennials.  

For millennials, picking up the phone and calling a hotel chain is no longer common practice. These explorers don’t want familiar names or to take the traditional route – they want an authentic experience. DEVENEY explains that millennials are in search of travel destinations and experiences that let them “live like a local” in places and cultures they are visiting. This trend is shown through the popularity of home sharing apps like Airbnb and VRBO.

However, hotel chains are quickly reacting to change in Travel PR. Moxy by Marriott and Aloft hotels are creating an experience catered to the millennial travel wants. They’ve changed the old school suites and are positioning themselves are the “cool, tech-savvy” alternative to the Marriott where mom and dad always stay. With services like Emoji “text it, get it” (TiGi) room-service and elevators designed to look like photo booths, Moxy and Aloft are not shy about talking to millennials.

Not only are millennials changing where they stay, the way millennials plan and take trips is an entirely different approach. These travelers are looking for the next best photo opportunity to make them the envy of their followers on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook. They’ll seek out bold, unique experiences that give them the opportunity to show off on social media.

What does the hospitality industry need to do to catch the attention of millennial travelers? What sort of budget does targeting this audience take? Check out the full article from DEVENEY for more millennial-focused travel and tourism PR information.