Who are the Millennial travelers and why we need them in our hotel

You’ve probably already noticed the new generation travelers – for them the internet connection is more important than the hotel room, they use their smartphones while waiting in the lobby instead of reading a newspaper or their MacBook on lunch. That is the so called Generation Y, or also known as the Millennial generation, which form the shape of the new tourist.

Millenials are born between 1980 and 2000, they have new requirements to hotels, travel more and are connected to the internet in any way. It is expected that this generation will exceed the babyboomers by 2030 and will become the main target group for hoteliers all over the world. The specific characteristics of these tourists require a new approach in order to attract their attention and loyalty.

Millennial travelers are important group for our hotel because they are constantly connected to internet and love to share their experience mostly online. They tag themselves and share pictures on Facebook, write reviews and influence other people in general. This makes them great brand ambassadors. Furthermore, Millennial travelers are our ideal group of guests for online and last-minute offers.

Main characteristics of Millennial travelers

Many hoteliers are trying to figure out Millennials and their needs. The key to finding that out is to look at their main characteristics.

First, the Millennial generation is growing up in a technologically developed world where travel and communication go hand by hand and are easier than ever before. While traveling, whether for business or leisure, they are always connected with internet, use their mobile devices and always expect easy access to any kind of information they are looking for.

They also know very well how to find the best price/quality offer there is. Millennials want to make sure that they get the maximum out of their vacation, that’s why they do extensive internet research and compare prices in order to find the best deals.

Tourists from generation Y are highly influenced by online reviews from previous guests. They can smell the paid advertisement from miles and they want to hear about authentic experiences. What other are saying about our hotels, our online reputation, is our most powerful tool to attract Millennials.

This new generation use social media regularly for sharing experiences or looking for travel inspiration, brand information, deals. ComScore research points out that 91% of Millennials use Facebook, 46% use Instagram, 39% – Twitter and 27% – LinkedIn. It depends on us how we will use this data in our advantage.

Young travelers are also highly influenced by visual elements. They give a true meaning of the saying that one picture is worth a thousand words while a thousand words may go unnoticed.

Millennials are slowly but steadily growing group of travelers. In order to follow this trend we should make sure that our hotel is Millennial-friendly and attracts this type of customers. With the right online marketing strategy we can make them choose us.