How Do Travel Trends do Travel Trends Differ Between Gen Z, Millennials, & Boomers? Discover Booking Habits, Spend & More!
How do travel trends vary with age? The data shows significant differences in the booking habits of individuals depending on age. Perhaps surprisingly, the demographics reported to have the most vacations is millennials with 35 days per year, that’s 6 more days than their predecessor of Gen Z at 29 days!
Vacations at all ages creates significant income towards the tourism industry, with baby boomers spending over $6,600 on their 2019 holidays and a third of millennials willing to spend $5000 or more on their travel a year. Budget as an influence on travel-making decisions seems to decrease the higher the age, this may be due to more financial stability with career progression. It may also be that the elder population doesn’t desire to have as exotic and financially-draining holidays with over half choosing to travel domestically. Conversely, millennials and Generation Z’s seek to visit new places as a means of relaxation with 83% millennials preferring all-inclusive and worry-free holidays. These have a higher cost so finding the cheaper deals would be even more important.
TRAVEL TRENDS BY AGE DEMOGRAPHIC:
Those travelling over the age of 30 showed the largest increase in numbers from 2007, going up from 10% to 17%. Those aged between 23 to 30 however, saw a decline of a similar percentage.
The younger Gen Z’s and Millennials are the highest spenders when they travel. Calling themselves 'flashpackers' they spend around about $3,500 per trip and $60 a day.
Millennials make the most of their holiday - most taking an average of 35 days of vacation each year when the average
Followed closely by Gen Z travellers, who travel 29 days each year. Gen X travels the least, as a result of work and family commitments.
American workers took 17.2 days of vacation in 2017.
Already, there are 40% of millennials planning to take a trip with friends within the next year.
Around 35% of millennials stay in upscale and luxury resorts and hotels.
Gen Z travellers want adventure, while millennials want comfort; 83% of millennials said they prefer all-inclusive and other worry-free vacations and 70% stayed in a hotel on their last trip.
90% of Gen Z say their international travel decisions are influenced by social media.
Gen Z spends about 25% of their budget on flights.
43% of Generation Z use OTAs to plan trips and take an average of 29 days per year.
62% of baby boomers will use all or most of their annual leave earned at work versus 77% of millennials.
Boomers spend a whopping $157 billion on trips every year.
Gen Z spent a quarter of their budget on flights.
93% of Gen X said they look for the best deals.
81% of Gen Z say budget is a factor for their booking decisions, compared to only 57% of baby boomers.
Gen Xers allocate 13% of their budget to tours/attractions.
Baby boomers spend an average of $1,865 on summer vacations.
They also plan on spending over $6,600 on their 2019 trips.
56% of travellers aged 25-34, spend $500-$1500 for a one-week trip, excluding airfare.
Vacationing millennials spend, on average, $1,373 on summer vacations.
Gen X spent an average of $2,628 on summer vacations.
Millennials are the most likely to go into debt for travel.
A third of millennials are willing to spend $5000 or more on vacation.
Those aged 55-75 planned to spend $6000+ on vacations in 2018.
Which age group spends the most on leisure travel in the United States? Millennials are most likely to get into debt to discover new places. The younger and potentially lower-earning age groups don’t let budget affect their vacation time. However, money is more of an obstacle for the younger demographic when it comes to planning where and what their vacation consists of; 81% of Gen Z’s say budget is a factor in their travel decisions, compared to 57% of boomers. Travellers of all ages are looking to spend their money wisely, with 93% of Gen X looking for the best deals when booking trips. There is no denying that a lot of money is spent travelling, with boomers planning to spend around $6,600 this year on vacations and a third of millennials willing to spend more than $5000.
Sources: Skift, Groupstoday, Accessdevelopment, Businessinsider, AARP
Just 12% of those between 40-54 (Gen X) travelled internationally in the last year.
19% of those aged 23-38 holidayed outside their own country.
12% of Gen X holidayed outside own country.
56% of those between 55-75 already decided on a destination for the following year.
The city most young travellers wanted to visit was Rio de Janeiro, followed by Tokyo, Sydney, Buenos Aires, and San Francisco.
51% of millennials, 46% of Gen Xers and 43% of boomers expect to visit both domestic and international destinations.
42% of millennials, 51% of Gen Xers, and 51% of boomers expect to visit only domestic destinations.
7% of millennials, 3% of Gen Xers and 6% of boomers expect to visit only international destinations.
France, Italy, Spain, and Portugal are the most attractive destinations for Brits over the age of 65.
The statistics show that destinations by age differ as millennials are more commonly holidaying outside their home country than Gen X, at 19% compared to 12%. This may be due to Gen Xers having less time and finances to organise vacations. Additionally, boomers vs millennials trends show that a higher percentage of boomers expect to take domestic holidays over international, compared to the younger demographics. This may be due to millennials wanting to explore more exotic and culturally rich destinations.
The most attractive destinations for the over 65’s in Britain are the nearby European countries of France, Italy, Spain, and Portugal. This may be due to the shorter travel times and the destinations being more accommodating for tourists with multilingual staff, easily accessible activities and a wide range of cuisines to pick from.
Sources: Skift, Groupstoday, Accessdevelopment, Avanti
Generation Z has an average of 29 vacation days per year.
Millennials have an average of 35 vacation days a year.
Generation X has an average of 26 vacation days per year.
Boomers between 55-75 have an average of 27 vacation days a year.
Generation X accounts for one out of every three leisure travellers and will average between three and four trips this year.
55-75-year-olds plan to have four or five trips in the next year.
42% of baby boomers plan on both domestic and international vacations.
What age group travels the most? Millennials between 23-38 seem to be the age group that travels the most with an average of 35 vacation days a year. This may be more than their younger alternatives of Gen Z’s (7-22) at 29 days as they may have more financial stability and would not have to juggle travelling with their education or with parents. Boomers and Gen Xers may have fewer vacation days due to more commitments, both with families, work and finances. However, despite these barriers, baby boomers still plan to have four to five trips in the next year with 42% planning both domestic and international trips.
Sources: Skift, Groupstoday, Accessdevelopment, AARP
83% of millennials said they prefer all-inclusive and other worry-free vacations.
56% of Gen Z travel to visit family.
50% of millennial travel is visiting family.
57% of baby boomers travel to visit family and friends.
Millennials are 13% more likely to visit a destination with cultural or historical significance compared to the general population.
47% of millennials and 40% of Gen Z vacation to relax and avoid stress.
45% of millennials travel to learn more about themselves.
These trends suggest that millennials are more likely to visit new places to ‘learn more about themselves’ than they are to visit family whereas over half of the Gen Z and baby boomers travel to visit family and friends. The higher proportion of millennials travelling to experience culture and history than the wider population suggests that they are more interested in experiencing something new and finding out about historical events over their elders.
With almost half of the millennials wanting to learn more about themselves, this indicates they see international travel as an opportunity to gain perspective on their day-to-day lives and take time out for themselves with 83% of millennials opting for all-inclusive and worry-free vacations.
Sources: Skift, Accessdevelopment, AARP
70% of millennials stay in hotels.
43% of Gen Xers travel by car.
40% of millennials will take a vacation with their friends in the next year.
62% of millennial parents are vacationing with kids under the age of 5.
Roughly 35% of millennials prefer upscale and luxury hotels/resorts.
96% of millennials are likely to travel solo.
19% of millennials have been or are likely to go on a cruise, compared with 9% of Gen X and 41% of the older baby boomer population.
30% of boomers take a cruise for their vacation.
38% of millennials are likely to visit a major metropolitan city in the next year.
Quick weekend getaways are popular with 16% Gen Xers, 11% boomers, 12% millennials.
25% of boomers extend business trips for leisure time.
Millennials are more likely to go on ‘off the beaten track’ holidays than the wider population.
70% of Gen Xers say vacations are family orientated and are likely to go on more child-friendly holidays.
Millennials seem to stick out as the age group that travels most frequently and looks for the most authentic and culturally-rich experiences. Generation X has more responsibilities, such as children and work, so subsequently, their habits adjust to accommodate those needs. They may travel to child-friendly destinations where there are lots of facilities and attractions for children to keep them entertained.
Cruises are popular with the older generation as they are a great way to see a range of different destinations without having to organise much of the trip yourself. It is a good option for the elder generations who may have mobility issues whereas millennials are more likely to stay in upscale and luxury resorts or take ‘off the beaten track’ holidays.
Sources: Skift, Accessdevelopment, AARP, Globetrender
90% of Gen Z travel decisions are made by social media.
72% of millennial's travel decisions can be influenced by advertising.
55% of Gen X book through an OTA.
66% of boomers are influenced by ads with informative content.
36% of Gen Z have chosen where to vacation after seeing postings about the destination on social media.
10% of baby boomers are influenced by social media in planning their vacations.
When it comes to millennials vs. baby boomers, there is no denying social media and technology play a big part in booking decisions. Gen Z is most susceptible to being influenced by social media as 90% of their travel decisions are made from what they see online, compared to only 10% of baby boomers. Advertisements with informative content are more influential for baby boomers, perhaps because they offer more practical information compared to social media posts, which tend to contain more inspirational visual imagery. Millennials who have experienced both traditional advertising and new technology, are influenced by both types of media.
Sources: Groupaccommodation, Expedia, Skift
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