Summer is a little over a month away and digital consumers are just a search, scroll, and click away from taking advantage of the flexibility that the season grants, as many take a break from their day-to-day and book the perfect getaway. As one of the largest industries, projected to reach $2.4 trillion in the next ten years, digital marketers need to ensure they are up-to-date on the latest trends and technologies, especially as consumers continue to utilize online booking capabilities. Nearly half of travelers begin trip planning with a search engine, 30% on social media and 23% watch videos, so utilizing the power of digital advertising and ensuring your brand is front-and-center in the planning process is key. It’s essential for marketers/media planners to understand the different types of travelers, how they are deciding where to go, when they’re booking and how to reach them in order to execute a winning programmatic campaign. So, Digilant has complied an infographic, based on industry research and insights, outlining the answers to all these questions.
Download the infographic here.
Part 1: The Different Types of Travelers
People of different generations will be jumping on planes, renting cars, and exploring various areas of the globe this summer for a number of reasons. Whether venturing for business or relaxation, travel consumerism is on the rise. Looking into who is traveling and why, (especially far in advance) can determine how and when your company engages with the right audience. Generations respond to ads in different ways, at different times. To resonate with targets best, consider Digilant’s findings regarding this year’s most impactful groups of travelers:
Who will be traveling in 2019?
The Dominant Force (baby boomers): Those born between 1946 and 1964, will be the dominant group of travelers in 2019. They are projected to go on 4 to 5 trips this year, particularly on longer vacations based around upgraded accommodations. This group puts an emphasis on finding the best hotel rooms, flight arrangements, and dining plans, which explains why they spend 20 to 50% more on trips than any other group. They secure excursions far in advance – 31% already booked 2019 trips by September 2018 – and actively keep tabs on future vacations. They will be traveling internationally this year, (over 40% of international travelers will be going to Europe) and domestically.
The Last Minute Travelers (Millennials): This group is also expected to take 4 to 5 trips in 2019. What’s unique about this group, however, is their universal expertise in planning at the very last minute. They leap at the opportunity to go on authentic, transformative experiences and approach their planning processes in sporadic ways. They’re not just searching for a beautiful destination – they’re searching for a destination chock-full of inspirational activities. And if that comes together a month (or week) in advance, they’ll make it happen. Because of their delayed interest in the thrill, millennials have quickly come to represent $50 billion worth of travel consumerism in the US.
Traveling for the #Gram (Gen Z): These consumers have a completely different approach to traveling. They’ll be taking around 3 trips this year, many journeying to picturesque locations around the globe. They prioritize aesthetic and are heavily swayed by travel-based images and videos found on social media. 40% prioritize Instagrammability when choosing a destination and 51% want to go somewhere new, especially a place their friends haven’t been to before. The joy in being able to post from a vacation spot before anyone else is what compels them to invest the time and money into traveling elsewhere.
These three groups have unique travel interests, timelines and budgets so clumping them all into one big group of “travelers” is not an effective way to reach and interact with them. Utilizing programmatic tactics that allow you to specifically hone in on your ideal target is essential when determining where to place your media dollars. Interested in learning more about how to properly target different travelers in 2019? Reach out to us here.