Youngstown Daily Legal News

Millennials crave adventure during their travels

ELISSA COLLOPY
Special to the Legal News
Published: July 5, 2016

More millennials than ever are on the road, taking advantage of the benefits travel agents have to offer.

In a new report released last November by L.E. Hotels, more than half of agents said they see growth in the number of millennial clients.

About 60 percent said that over the past two years, 10 to 25 percent of their new business was from that age group.

According to the report, the dreams travelers are holding onto this year are to be young, healthy and adventurous.

Today’s travelers are seeking authentic experiences delving into the local culture through food, activities, and interactions with the people.

“They want to truly experience the country, do something off the beaten path, and see places in a different way,” said Hannah McCarty, a travel advisor with Grandview Travel. “They want to be travelers and not tourists.”

McCarty, an Ohio State University graduate, traveled abroad in China for a month while in school.

“My time in China in 2014 was my first international travel, and was life changing. I found my passion for learning about diverse cultures first hand, and have been craving that ever since.”

Also while at OSU, she led a group of peers on a service trip in Belize, another popular reason for travel.

“I got to exercise my adventurous side by cliff jumping, cave diving, snorkeling with sting rays and shark rays and much more.”

She said these types of experiences are what many millennials, herself included, are looking for.

“These trips sparked my interest in exploring new places and experiencing new adventures.”

The desire to travel comes down to three primary motivators: to spend time with family and friends, to relax and rejuvenate, and to get away from normal everyday life.

In addition to the rise of millennial travel, the baby boomer generation is also anticipating traveling for leisure — 99 percent to be exact, according to a report by the AARP.

Those baby boomers list multiple reasons for traveling such as bucket lists, multi-generational vacations, or summer vacations.

More and more, travelers are looking to share travel experiences with family, and it’s not uncommon to see parents, children and grandparents traveling together according to the OTA.

According to AAA, 25 percent of all multigenerational trips include three separate generations.

While this is not new, the rate of growth is increasing.

A recent AAA poll indicates a four percent increase in multigenerational travel, bringing the total number of families planning a multigenerational trip up to 36 percent, over one-third of all planned trips.

AAA ranks multigenerational travel as among the top five travel trends in 2016. The other top trends listed include cultural immersion, cruises, trips to National Parks and voluntourism — a combination of service and travel.

In regards to those who are looking to travel but are unsure of where to go, AAA lists several popular destinations in the U.S. and worldwide: Seattle, a foodie-destination; Argentina, a wildlife hotspot; Columbia, an attraction for wine-lovers and mountain-lovers alike; Bozeman, Mont., for hikers and national park enthusiasts; and Belize, for backpackers and those interested in seeing the second-largest coral reef system in the world.

Whether searching for budget-friendly locations, extravagant views, or new experiences, McCarty said there is a location and itinerary for everyone.

Millennials are more likely than other generations to be motivated by the desire to “go on an adventure” than others, ranking as the most adventurous with 82 percent indicating they want to try new experiences, with baby boomers at 55 percent, according to the Ohio Travel Association.

Millennials are also most focused on adventure experiences (28 percent) and solo travel (25 percent), while Boomers are more interested in cruises (15 percent) and group travel (11 percent), according to the association.

Another growing reason for travel is wellness.

Whether it’s a study, testimonial, or research, there’s always something new in the world of health and fitness.

Eighty-six percent of travel agents said they expect to see growth in the wellness travel industry according to the 2015 State of Wellness Travel Report.

Agents polled for the report said contributing factors include overall concern with health and wellness, increasing knowledge, rising stress levels, strenuous work environments and an aging population.

Another trend for travel this year is experience travel.

“In 2016, travelers are looking for vacations that are more culturally immersive and they want to share those experiences with friends and family,” said Lisa Sands, director of travel communications for AAA. “People want ... to feel like (the trip) is uniquely personalized for them. This has led to an increase in visits to travel agents ... by millennials and baby boomers.”

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