At ITM
we’re often asked how travel buyers and suppliers alike should address and corral
the so-called Millennial Traveller. I think sometimes we talk about this
mercurial generation as if they’re a different species of human and that we
have to change everything to accommodate their curious characteristics.
This
isn’t really the case. Did you know that the definition of millennial means
reaching adulthood in the 21st century. Ladies and gents, that means
that they can be 37 years old. I’m really not far away from being one myself !
With that
said, half of the global workforce will be within this category by next year
and so it does make sense to consider their tendencies, whilst being careful
not to generalise. They are individuals too.
Firstly,
they have a shorter attention span than previous generations. They have more
distractions and more stuff coming at them; and this means communication and
interactions need to be punchy. For example, 12 page travel policies were never
a good idea, but for this group, it would be considered almost impenetrable.
Secondly,
of course, they do almost everything through their phone. So obviously
absolutely anything meaningful you plan to say to or do with millennials needs
to be mobile-driven. Combine the small screen with the short attention span and
the effect is amplified. Clear, brief and compelling wins.
Thirdly,
and relatedly, millennials in general think that if you have to be shown how to
use something, it’s kind of rubbish. Think booking tools. If you need a webinar
or lunch and learn session to be able to make a booking, it probably hasn’t
been designed well enough. No one shows a millennial how to use Instagram and
so if they have to be shown how to use a business tool, it just feels dull and
old fashioned. Not to mention that if something is fun to use, it will get used
more often anyway !
Finally,
younger generations of workers appear to more successfully blur the lines between
work and play. When they travel, they have a greater appetite to experience the
local community rather than stay within the four walls of their room, and they
will certainly compare how it feels to travel with one employer versus another.
In highly competitive industries this can become key to attracting and
retaining the best talent.
Of
course, there are many other traits to consider that we can’t cover within the
space of this column and, before you say it, a lot of this clearly applies to
people born before 1982 aswell.
The
main thing is that millennials aren’t that different to other travellers. But
we always need to think about what makes the end user tick. Give them what they
want, not what we may want to give them. Simple, right ?
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