We've already noted that Millennials are considering more sources of information when planning travel. Now we've broken down MMGY Global's research from the 2015 Portrait of American Travelers on how Millennials go about planning and booking a vacation, step by step.
While looking for vacation ideas and inspiration, significantly more Millennials in 2015 consider printed visitor guides, television shows and online visitor guides. Surprisingly, significantly fewer consider destination websites.
While looking for advice and ratings, significantly more Millennials now consider travel review websites, such as TripAdvisor, making this the most frequently considered source during this stage of vacation planning. Other sources now considered frequently by Millennial travelers in 2015 include travel service provider websites, social media posts from friends and family, blog posts and printed visitor guides. However, not all sources of information are on the rise – compared to last year, 12 percent fewer Millennials now consider OTAs.
Travel service provider promotions and collective buying websites are the main beneficiaries of Millennials comparing prices and features. However, the most frequently considered source remains search engines. This year, significantly more Millennials consider airline promotions, collective buying websites and cruise promotions during this stage. Similar to what we observed during the advice and ratings stage, OTAs are considered by 14 percent fewer Millennials now compared to 2014.
During the final phase of travel planning, when consumers book their reservations, search engine big winner – 13 percent more Millennials use this source this year than in 2013. Conversely, 9 percent fewer Millennials consider OTAs. Compared to last year, significantly more Millennials now consider hotel/resort promotions, advice from friends and family, or traditional travel agents when making reservations.
As Millennial travelers consider more types of information sources throughout vacation planning, it becomes easier to find them during their planning, but harder to keep their attention and influence their decision-making. Marketers must therefore craft and deploy highly relevant content that reflects what Millennials are seeking during each of these phases.