MARKETING TO MILLENNIALS PART 2: THE ADVENTURE THEY WANT FROM TRAVEL
Understanding the motivation behind travel is important to creating a great hospitality experience.
For the Millennial Generation travel is something completely different than it was for the generations that came before them. Part 2 of this blog series is all about what exactly millennials are looking for in a trip, and how we as hotel professionals can use that information to target them more effectively.
Adventure, Experience and Immersion
Millennials view travel as a key component to individual growth and an invaluable resource when it comes to learning. One study by PGAV Destinations showed that 70 % of millennials felt they could “only achieve learning something new in immersive, cultural destinations.”
Millennials travel for excitement, not just relaxation.
Millennials don’t want to be tourists, they want to dive headfirst into an authentic experience. And above all they want to do something that will help them to grow as a person.
Similarly, millennials don’t want to kick back and relax for a week when they go on vacation, they want to have a fun experience where they can make memories and bring back interesting stories. In fact, according to an article by dangerous-business.com, 78% of millennials are “more interested in thrilling, active vacations than lazy trips!”
It should come as no surprise that this group is also more likely to spend money booking another night at their hotel than purchasing a souvenir, another survey cited by foxnews.com showed that six in ten millennials would rather spend their money on experiences than material things.
Volunteerism Related Travel
Another piece of the millennial travel puzzle is the fact that this group likes to not only have fun while on a trip, they like to try and make a difference in the world while doing so. 84% of millennials are willing to travel abroad with the purpose of participating in volunteer activities.
Traveling to volunteer is a common trend for 18-34 year olds.
Even though that stat might be skewed by college-aged students taking part in school sponsored volunteer trips, there’s no reason to think that people who go on these trips in school won’t be looking for the same type of experience years later.
How to take advantage of these trends
Find diamonds in the rough
If you’re in a location that’s not known for its culture or excitement don’t worry. You might be surprised by how many millennial-friendly attractions are nearby that might get overlooked because they aren’t well known. There are also probably a few nearby attractions you might not have thought of as interesting but might actually be appealing to a millennial’s desire to capture immersive, cultural experiences.
For example, the regular Saturday morning farmer’s market, or your locally frequented coffee shop might not seem very exciting, but these types of places might offer enough authentic local culture to catch the attention of an 18 to 34 year-old.
Market local attractions
Once you’ve found nearby attractions that appeal to millennial guests, it’s time to put them to good use. Here are some ways to market your hotel by highlighting those areas of interest.
• Make a map – Have a professionally designed map printed and available to guests in the lobby that highlights unique cultural destinations.
• Add to your advertising material – If possible include the fact that your property is only 3 miles from a 75-year-old winery (or whatever you’ve found) to your sales brochures or google ads.
• Use social media correctly – This is another invaluable tool for capturing the attention of millennials. Rather than focusing your tweets, Facebook posts and Instagram pictures on the property itself, head out to nearby hotspots. Creating great content about the types of experiences guests can have outside of your hotel can go a long way.
Facilitate a great experience
It’s important to keep in mind that your role in the travel process should be as a facilitator, making travel experiences easy, comfortable and convenient. 2 simple ways to help millennials have a great experience includes:
1) Easy transportation – Offering bike rentals and shuttles are a great way to allow guests to freely explore without too much hassle.
2) Offer a volunteering opportunity – If possible, try to form a partnership with a local nonprofit or cause. You can provide discount rates while guaranteeing yourself repeat millennial customers for years to come.
Be sure to check out part 1 of this blog series if you missed it, it’s all about understanding the mobile space and how to take advantage of it, and stay tuned for part 3!
