Breaking down the travel trends between baby boomers, millennials: TripAdvisor

Hotel brands
When selecting hotels, Asian travellers, particularly those from China, value hotel brands much more than Europeans, with 82% of Chinese travellers reporting that it is important to stay in a hotel with a brand name they know and trust.

Travellers from the UK are the least interested in hotel brands (22%), according to the report.

Families are also more likely to prefer a hotel with a brand they trust (44%) compared to other traveller groups.

The generation gap – spending and pre-booked attractions
The TripBarometer results show the divide in spending habits between generations, with participating baby boomers spending almost twice as much on accommodation (S$1,540, or US$1,137) when compared to their children’s generation.

Millennials have the smallest accommodation budget by a significant margin, spending an average of just S$675 on accommodation on their most recent trip. However, while younger travellers are more cautious with their finances, they are just as willing as their parents’ generation to pay a little more for luxury, with 54% of millennials and 56% of baby boomers prepared to pay a little more for a luxury trip, TripAdvisor said.

The 25-34 age group is also more likely to be attracted to a great deal, with 16% being prompted to think about their trip because of a bargain – however, this declines with age; 65+ age group are less tempted by a deal (9%).

Younger people are less fixed on a destination when they start thinking about a trip, with 46% of participating 18-24 year olds having decided on their destination before starting their research. For the 65+ age group this is a lot higher; 70% have already decided where to go.

Millennials are more likely to book attractions than older travellers, with almost half (49%) pre-booking things to do before embarking on their trip. Baby boomers are far less likely to book in advance with just over one third (35%) pre-booking attractions. However, across all respondents, the majority (57%) do not take advantage of bookable experiences, potentially meaning longer time spent queuing for tickets and entry while on holiday.

Choosing a destination
When it comes to choosing a destination, culture is more of a factor than weather for participating travellers. One third (34%) choose their destination to experience the culture, society and people, compared to just one fifth (20%) of travellers who are seeking good weather.

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