Experiential Travel: Trends Shaping the Hospitality and ...
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Experiential Travel: Trends Shaping the Hospitality and Tourism Industry Presented by: Bridget Bordelon, Ph.D
Transcript of Experiential Travel: Trends Shaping the Hospitality and ...
Experiential Travel: Trends Shaping the Hospitality and Tourism Industry
Presented by: Bridget Bordelon, Ph.D
Vacations, Planning, and Happiness
Source: Project Time Off, 2017
The GOOD NEWS!The jump in vacation usage from 16.2 to 16.8 days delivered a $37 billion impact to the U.S. economy.
Planning time off is associated with increased happinessPlanners are “very” or “extremely” happy with their relationships, health and well-being, and job.
The largest boost in happiness comes from the simple act of planning a vacation.
The effect of vacation anticipation boosted happiness for eight weeks.
Source: Journal of Applied Research in Quality of Life
The SolutionBetter Planning: Using Apps and Travel Organizers
A majority (52%) of workers who say they set aside time each year to plan out their vacation days take all their time off, compared to just 40 percent of non-planners.
They also tend to take longer vacations.
75% of planners take a week or more at a time.
Travel Trends Generational Travel: Millennials and travel with children
• Adapting to a digitized environment
• Use electronics for news, organizing trips, search for services and learn about products
• Interested in politics, economics, art and culture
• Preferred communication is email or SMS
(1946-1964) (1965-1979) (1980-1999) (1996-2010)
• Entrepreneurial, restless and self-sufficient
• High purchasing power• Dedicate free time to
hobbies, travel, and sports
• Family is fundamental• Preferred communication
is email or telephone as well as apps or social networking
• Digital natives• Use the internet daily
for work and personal• Love experiences• Interested in
technology, lifestyle, travel and sports
• Use social networks to communicate and follow news and celebrities
• Uncommon working life • Creative and proactive• Use several social
networking platforms at once
• Internet is fundamental• Impatient and desire
personalized treatment• Committed to social
issues
(2019, May 27). Millennials, Z generation and other generations in marketing. Retrieved from https://multiconversion.com/millennials-z-generation-and-other-generations-in-marketing/
Travel MotivationsBaby
Boomers Gen X Gen Y Gen Z
Check off Bucket List destinations
Focused on family travel
Traveling for romance;
weekend getaways
Experimental travel;
authentic experiences in unique
destinations
Elkind, D. (2019, May 21). Travel Trends: On The Go With Generation Z. Retrieved from https://www.cmo.com/features/articles/2019/5/15/generation-z-travel.html#gs.0ppomv
Source: Pexels.com
Millennials rely on social media for up to date information on attractions, airlines, hotels, events, even weather conditions.
They trust information from peer group over that from experts.
Millennials: Have Children and LOVE to Travel • 53% of millennials already have children -- raising the total number of
U.S. women in this generation who have become mothers to 16 million.
• Strong belief that raising a well-rounded child is through travel, adventure, and acceptance of other cultures.
• There are 80 million millennials in the United States who average 2.6 trips per person each year. Among millennials, families travel much more than couples or singles. Millennials with children are also traveling more internationally than any other
demographic group and taking more than one vacation, often an adventure trip.
National Center for Health Statistics, 2015
How to Reach these Travelers?• Sharing and linking Instagram, Facebook and other social media posts
• Engaging with followers directly on social media
• Encouraging customers to share pictures and videos
• Creating places for user generated content on company websites
Family TravelImage: Familytravel.org
Image: Parenting.com
Travel builds family bonds.
With children involved in the destination planning.
Millennials with Children• Tour operators are adding adventure activities for families with younger children to their repertoire.
• Camping is also popular; according to a recent survey, millennials now account for 38 % of the 75 million active camper households in the U.S.
Millennials Want An Experience
Millennial parents read user reviews64% Feel obligated to post
their own recommendations60%
Todd Smith, CEO of AdventureSmith Expeditions says his best-selling cruise for millennials is to Antarctica because of the sense of adventure--they can share the experience online.
Nature Based Trips
Nature Based Trips
garden and forests cycling walking and hiking
fishing canoeing and water sports camping
Image: Familytravel.org
Vacations with a purpose
Transformative Travel: Nature and Culture Developing a deeper connection and mindfulness
Health and WellnessPhysical Activity
Spiritual ActivityCultural Travel
Volunteerism
3 Phases of Transformational Travel:1. Departure
2. The Initiation
3. The Hero’s Journey—the Return
People are searching for a deep shift even after the trip ends.
AHLA 2018 Survey: Hotel Trends • Millennial travelers value community and convenience 10% of upscale properties reported implementation of communal
spaces Grab-n-go marketplace have increased from 21% in 2016 to 31% in
2018
• The lodging industry values sustainability Green Certification are up from 16% in 2016 to 25% in 2018 2/3 chain hotels report some type of water saving program
• The shift towards mobile Using mobile apps to access hotel services has risen from 35% in
2016 to 40% in 2018 Mobile devices as room key use has risen from 6% in 2016 to 17% in
2018A. H. L. A. (2019, March 15). NEW HOTEL TREND SURVEY REVEALS MAJOR ADVANCEMENTS ACROSS THE INDUSTRY. Retrieved from https://www.ahla.com/press-release/new-hotel-trend-survey-reveals-major-advancements-across-industry
