Revealed: The travel habits of millennials

BREAKING NEWS: Millennials are everywhere. Okay, maybe it’s not breaking news, but it is important to realise when trying to sell travel to them.

Because not only are millennials one of the largest groups of travellers in the world, they also make up 45 per cent of Asia Pacific’s population.

In other words, it’s a group no one can afford to ignore.

Luckily for you, Amadeus has got you covered with their new research.

Journey of Me Insights: What Asia Pacific Millennial Travellers Want is the latest in a series of Journey of Me reports that Amadeus first launched in August 2017.

Conducted in collaboration with YouGov across 14 markets in Asia Pacific, the research surveyed 6870 respondents.

Unsurprisingly, millennials are embracing new technology, experiences, and ways of traveling. 42 per cent of millennials say they often use ride-sharing apps when they travel, and 35 per cent frequently use sharing economy services for trip accommodation.

Roughy 45 per cent of Australian millennials use sharing economy apps while travelling – like Uberpool or Airbnb.

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Millennials are also lusting after new experiences – 29 per cent of Aussie millennials are most interested in recommendations that expose them to something new, and prefer to be contracted via email or social media rather than in person.

Karun Budhraja, vice president, corporate marketing & communications, Asia Pacific, Amadeus said that the industry needs to serve millennials differently to other customers.

“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,” she said.

“They want different experiences in travel, so the industry must serve them differently. Travel providers will need to adopt new technology, new strategies, and above all, new mindsets if they want to secure millennial mind and market share.

“By understanding what drives Asia Pacific millennials and what they value when they travel, businesses will be better placed to meet their needs.”

Millennials are also less likely to take travel advice from celebrities or social media influencers, with the majority preferring recommendations from family or friends, plus traveller reviews.

“While millennials may still look to influencers to curate trends, ideas and inspiration, I believe they are also 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,” Budhraja added.

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 per cent of baby boomers would avoid a destination where natural disasters are likely, only 51 per cent of millennials say the same.

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“While this research has highlighted a number of unique behaviours and preferences of APAC millennial travellers, it is also worth pointing out that there are just as many similarities between millennials 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 center of everything we do,” Budhraja said.

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Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au

amadeus Journey of Me Insights millennials report