By Brady Rothschild, Mars Hill University intern
Millennials are the rising generation, entering the workforce and demanding control of their travel experiences. Many have very specific needs and wants and love to travel. The Millennial generation wants to explore, but they do not want to be told what to do. They want to travel on their terms doing what they feel will enrich their lives the best. They want to go with friends for a price that suits them in a way that they can feel comfortable and important.
Here are three ways that your destination can help attract Millennial travel.
They need Wi-Fi
When they travel, they want to be connected to friends and family back home at every possible opportunity to show them on social media how great their trip is and what everyone else is missing out on. It’s not as much about showing off for them as it is about elevating their social status. They don’t want to necessarily be better than everyone else, but they do want to be a part of that cool group that travels and goes to exciting places doing all kinds of cool things. It is very important that everyone knows what they are doing and that they are having a good time.
They want luxury on a budget
Millennials are still new to the work force; this means that they don’t have the income yet to afford the best of everything, but they do want to feel like they are getting treated just as well as the VIP guests. This means that they also want value for money. If they set out to do something, they need to get the most out of it. This means that destinations need to pull out all the stops all the time to help impress their guests.
Most want to interact with the locals
A big part of traveling for them is meeting the locals wherever they go. This is because the locals know where the best things are. They can tell where the best parties are and what are the most exciting things to do. They will make friends quickly and join in on what is happening, because they hate to feel left out. They also want to gain the knowledge that no one else as. This means that they will go to interact in traditional activities beloved by the locals to gain the experience that their friends don't have.
Millennials want to get out there and see the world. They want to be treated like they are important members of society who can express themselves, in the way that they feel comfortable. They want to feel like they are in control of what is happening around them. They need all their friends to know their having a great time. They want an experience that will last them a lifetime, because they love to live in the moment.