Why Millennials Love Travel (and are doing it more than any other generation)
We’re not tourists, we’re Global Citizens.
It’s not about vacation either. Vacation is that thing you take 3 months to organize and plan to be gone for 1-2 weeks. Millennials love vacation. Of course they do, who doesn’t. But the differentiating factor between us and other generations is our love for travel; not vacation.
I think back to a year ago when I started my first big-girl-job out of college. I was 4 months in, and I told my parents I was going to visit Mexico in a month. They were shocked and said, “You just started working… You should work at least 1 year before taking a vacation…Don’t get fired.” My plan was to go to Mexico for 5 days; not to take a 3-month sabbatical on the company’s dime. Call me naïve and my parents old fashioned (they are), but not many millennials would even entertain the idea of 1 year without travel.
Traveling to other cities, meeting new people, tasting new foods– it’s a lifestyle, and not necessarily one of luxury. While, 1/4th of U.S. adults who make a household income of $500,000 are millennials, those of us who are not making that much are damn sure traveling too– like my friends and I.
It’s easy. We spend less money on stuff and more money on plane tickets and Airbnbs. You’ve heard it before, “Millennials value experiences over things.” And 78% prefer to splurge on experiences over things. The ultimate experience being travel.
On average, millennials spend just over $3,200 per year on travel. So think of all that comes with that– brands can hit a hot spot with millennials in experiential advertising (like a coconut water brand bringing Hawaii to Union Square), travel giveaways on social media, and partnering with travel brands. So as you’re creating lifestyle content for this group, keep our love for travel top of mind and do it often. Think of us as buyers every few months with our eyes always open for next travel opportunity.
Vacation is what our parents do. They’re the once-every-2-5-year-buyers. They aren’t wrong for that, but it’s perspective that determines everyone’s individual meaning of stability and success. Living a life well-traveled is the millennial take on that.