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Connect with Millennial Travelers Before, During and After the Trip
See how younger leisure travelers around the world discover where to go and how to book, and how marketers can meet them on mobile to better connect and inspire their next journeys.
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Whether at a concert in California, checking out the historical Gellért Baths in Hungary or enjoying a tasty Bak Kut Teh soup in Singapore—people document their travel experiences in real time via mobile. But long before they even share these moments online, an ad, friend, family member or even a personal memory likely influenced them to seek out those experiences. In fact, according to one survey, 34% of travelers—and 44% of Millennials—say that their childhood memories of a trip are factors that would sway them to plan a trip to the same location.1
Facebook IQ wanted to understand how Millennial leisure travelers seek inspiration, particularly on social platforms, and how marketers may be able to develop more meaningful connections long before travelers have their boarding passes and hotel reservations in hand. We surveyed over 9,000 people across 9 markets to identify how travelers approach inspiration and booking differently, and to assess how their decisions are influenced online.
How Millennials find inspiration on mobile before, during and beyond the trip
Thanks to mobile, we are rarely alone, even when on a solo trip. According to the travel industry organization SITA, virtually all of us carry at least one device when traveling, and 70% of travelers carry two or more.2 Before the first ticket is purchased and well after the last leg is flown, our mobile companions can capture our experiences—and inspire our next trip.
With the help of mobile, people around the world find travel inspiration across social platforms. This is especially true for Millennials, who in 7 of 9 markets surveyed are more likely than Gen Xers in the same countries to say social media is a great way to learn about new travel experiences. This gap is lower in countries like India and Indonesia, where mobile is the primary—if not sole—way people access this type of travel inspiration, before, during and after trips.
Millennials are more likely than Gen Xers to find travel inspiration on social media
Relative to Gen Xers, Millennials tend to agree that social media is a key source of travel inspiration
1.6XAustralia
1.5XBrazil
1.5XCanada
1.3XFrance
2.0XGermany
1.0XIndia
0.9XIndonesia
1.4XUK
1.2XUSA
Who Millennials turn to for their travel inspiration
When it comes to seeking travel inspiration and guidance, we found that travelers engage seamlessly with friends, family and businesses. In some cases, though, businesses on social media are actually people’s primary source for recommendations, on or beyond a trip
Millennials on Facebook tend to rely on businesses for their travel inspiration
Businesses have an opportunity to connect with Millennials in the top 3 actions they take on Facebook when seeking travel advice
Opportunity for business influence/advice
View photos/videos about destinations/activities
Check in to locations while traveling
Read reviews from friends and family
View photos/videos about destinations/activities
Check in to locations while traveling
Read reviews from friends and family
View photos/videos about destinations/activities
Seek advice from friends and family
Read travel reviews from friends and family
View photos/videos about destinations/activities
Read reviews from friends and family
Seek advice from friends and family
View photos/videos about destinations/activities
Follow/Like travel brands
See what’s currently trending in travel
View photos/videos about destinations/activities
Read travel reviews from friends and family
See what’s currently trending in travel
View photos/videos about destinations/activities
Read travel reviews from friends and family
See what’s currently trending in travel
View photos/videos about destinations/activities
Check in to locations while traveling
Read travel reviews from friends and family
View photos/videos about destinations/activities
Check in to locations while traveling
Read travel reviews from friends and family
We know that many travelers turn to businesses for guidance, but how do people prefer to receive that information? When we asked travelers how they wanted to receive guidance on flight options, we found that video and banner ads play a fundamental role, ranking among respondents' top three channels. Additionally, travelers expressed a growing interest in more personalized channels like messaging apps, such as Messenger and WhatsApp. The desire to receive more personalized messaging was particularly prominent among Millennial travelers in emerging markets, such as India (58%) and Indonesia (45%). Not only do people want tailored advice from travel providers, but they also prefer it to be highly visual, such as through video ads, and personal through messaging apps.
Why the time after a trip is also the booking window before the next
While travelers' sources of inspiration can differ depending on their locations, so too can the window of inspiration prior to booking. This holds true for Millennials in particular.
In the majority of markets surveyed, Millennials tend to book their flights 1–6 months before departure. Millennials surveyed in India and Indonesia, however, tend to wait longer, with approximately 40% booking one month or less before take-off. In the case of Indonesia, this is almost twice the number as those in the 1-6-month timeframe.
Millennials tend to book their flights at similar times across markets surveyed—but not everywhere
While Millennials in many markets surveyed tend to book at similar times, those in India and Indonesia may wait until closer to departure to purchase their tickets
For people who tend to book their flights further in advance, for example, it may make sense to provide an array of options including some core, must-do activities and a few off-the-beaten path suggestions to consider. These might also include ideas that typically require more planning, such as a longer, historical hike in a remote mountain range. On the other hand, for people who tend to prefer waiting until shortly before the trip to book, approaching them with a more complete offer package or promotional pricing on relevant experiences may prove more effective and reduce having to use precious time during the trip on logistics and evaluation.
Understanding people’s preferred booking windows can help marketers determine how best to engage with travelers and provide more relevant, meaningful recommendations.
What it means for marketers
Mobilize globally.
For Millennials, whether in Melbourne or Rio de Janeiro, mobile apps will continue to provide all things travel. In emerging markets, be ready inspire multiple mobile-first generations on social media—not just Millennials, but also Gen Xers—particularly since people in these markets will increasingly seek inspiration for their global travel plans in the coming years.
Inspire visually.
If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a series of them is a priceless story full of experiences and memorable connections. Particularly in higher-bandwidth markets, leverage mobile-friendly video formats like Instagram Stories to connect with, inspire and guide Millennial travelers throughout their journeys, and even spark new ones.
Connect personally.
Offer personalized treatment through mobile messaging apps, as Millennials often look seamlessly for travel inspiration from both marketers and their families and friends. Many journeys begin with a flight, but travelers aren't always sure how to whittle down their options. Make this easier with solutions like Flight Ads that allow you to reach travelers who've never flown with you before.
Source unless otherwise specified: “Travel Consumer Journey Study” by Accenture (Facebook-commissioned online study of 9,142 people ages 18+ who had traveled in the past year, AU, BR, CA, DE, FR, GB, ID, IN and US), Jul 2018.
