Amadeus has singled out millennial travellers (ages 18-35) in its latest report, Journey of Me Insights: What Asia Pacific Millennial Travellers Want, dissecting their preferences and behaviours.
This is the latest in a series of Journey of Me reports that Amadeus first launched in August 2017. Conducted in collaboration with YouGov, a global market research and data analytics firm, the research surveyed 6,870 respondents across 14 markets in Asia Pacific (APAC).
Amadeus points out that as millennials represent more than 45% of APAC’s population it is a group “no one can afford to ignore”.
These are the insights to heed if travel providers want to win the hearts, minds and wallets of the millennial traveller.
Embracing the new
Ride-sharing apps are popular with millennials (Image credit: Tero-Vesalainen/iStock-Getty Images)
Millennials are embracing new technology, experiences and ways of travelling more than the generations before them. 42% of millennials say they often use ride-sharing apps when they travel, and 35% frequently use sharing economy services for accommodation.
This is especially prevalent among millennials in India with 75% using ride-sharing apps and 55% using home-sharing apps often or very often. On the other hand, their counterparts in Japan are the least likely to use these services, with over 90% saying they never or seldom use these apps.
Targeting millennials’ desire for new experiences is a golden opportunity for travel providers, says the report. It finds 27% of those surveyed are most interested in recommendations that expose them to new experiences, just below recommendations that help them save money (37%).
They are also open to travel providers sending them these recommendations or updates through alternative platforms. 23% of millennials say they prefer to be contacted via social media, after email (31%). Social media, however, comes up as top choice for millennials in Thailand (50%) and Indonesia (34%).
Karun Budhraja, Amadeus’ vice president, corporate marketing & communications, Asia Pacific, says the Internet and technology is “second skin” to the millennial generation. “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.
Travel providers have to adopt new technology, new strategies and new mindsets to get a share of this travel segment. “By understanding what drives Asia Pacific millennials and what they value when they travel, businesses will be better placed to meet their needs,” he added.
People over brands
Family and friends are travel influencers. (Image credit: NicoElNino/iStock-Getty Images)
Millennials tend to choose family and friends, as well as traveller reviews, as their main influencers for their travel planning.
“Somewhat surprisingly millennials ranked celebrities and social media influencers right at the bottom, even lower than brochures,” states the report.
Budhraja explains that while millennials may look to influencers to curate trends, ideas and inspiration, they are becoming more sophisticated in how they evaluate them. “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.”
Cautious or adventurous?
Travel to safe destinations is one of the preferances. (Image credit: Natnan-Srisuwan/iStock-Getty Images)
While millennials are generally regarded as “bold and adventurous” on their travels, the research finds this true in only some areas but less so in others.
Compared to their older counterparts 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% of baby boomers would avoid a destination where natural disasters are likely, only 51% of millennials say the same.
Millennials are also less open than older travellers to sharing their personal information with travel providers in return for more relevant offers or personalised services (62% compared to 68% of baby boomers and 66% of Gen X). Travellers from Taiwan (76%) and Indonesia (75%) are the most open, while those from Japan (33%) and New Zealand (45%) are the least open.
Budhraja stresses although this research highlights the unique behaviours and preferences of APAC millennial travellers there are also many similarities between them and travellers from other generations.
“Personalisation is increasingly important, being real is key, and travellers want to be connected with the right content, through the right channel, and at the right time. What is certain is that the travel industry can only thrive if we put the traveller at the centre of everything we do.”
• Featured image credit: lzf/iStock-Getty Images
