Perhaps one of the strangest habits of the Millennial Generation is what some observers are calling “isolated togetherness.” This paradoxical term refers to times when young people might seem like they’re isolated from one another but are actually socializing.
For example, we’ve all seen groups of 20-somethings with heads down looking at their phones not talking to one another. From the outside it looks like a very anti-social situation but in reality most of them are using their phones to socialize, be it texting, checking email or posting on social media.
The fact is, physical distance is becoming less important to this generation when it comes to social interaction. The traditional idea that the person nearest you should have priority for your attention is falling to the wayside.
New Social Norms Means New Travel Norms
One of the strangest parts about this generation’s social life is that despite their introverted appearance, millennials are actually even more dependent on their social circle than generations before them, and that includes instances that involve travel. Here are some surprising social habits of the millennial traveler:
They like to travel together
58% of millennials prefer to travel with friends. According to the hospitality consulting firm HVS that’s 20% more than other generations, who are more likely to travel with family and spouses.
Getting input from others is critical to decision making
Forbes Magazine points out that more than two-thirds of millennials “don’t make a major decision until they have discussed it with a few people they trust,” compared to around half of all non-millennials. Social approval is a key part of this generation’s decision making process. Additionally, 70% of millennials are “more excited about a decision they’ve made when their friends agree with them, compared to 48% of non-millennials, and they overwhelmingly believe that their friends are the most credible source of information.
While friends are the most important piece of the puzzle, people they don’t know also plays an important role for millennials when making a choice. On average, millennials consult 10.2 sources before booking a trip. That includes sources that depend on the experience of strangers like review sites such as Trip-Advisor and Oyster.com as well as sources that give feedback from friends like social media sites including Facebook and Twitter.
Social media becomes even more important while traveling – While normally 75% of millennials share content on social media, according to groupsizesolutions.com that number jumps to 97% when they are traveling. While on vacation, millennials treat their Facebook and Twitter accounts like digital journal of the trip, documenting everything from trips to the beach, restaurants and hotel rooms.
Social interaction not important for transactions
But despite the need for social interaction when making a decision it seems less important when it comes to actually making transactions. According to HVS, 36% of millennials prefer automated self-service kiosks when checking in to a hotel compared to 19% of non-millennials.
How Hotel Pros Can Use This Information
It’s a lot of information to digest, but understanding the role social norms play on millennial travelers is invaluable to hospitality industry marketers. Here are just a few ways you can start taking advantage of this information today:
• Start offering more packages that cater to groups that travel
• Have a GREAT online presence, respond to comments on social media and reviews on Trip-Advisor type sites.
• Focus your digital marketing budget on social media optimization
• Develop your reputation. Instill in your staff that every guest is potentially influencing future business by their online endorsement or negative comment.
For more tips on the best way to market to millennials, be sure to check out part 1 of this blog series How to Win on Mobile Platforms and part 2 The Adventure They Want From Travel.
