You're on a family holiday with the entire family, and you're sitting down to plan on the next spot to visit. Your parents want to relax in a familiar beach resort, you want to explore the beautiful nature, while your younger siblings want to discover the hippest coffee shop in a hidden alleyway. Sounds familiar? Don't worry... This differences in travel preferences are entirely normal! It's simply a generational thing.
Heading into the busy year-end travel period, we're taking a deep look into the travel trends of the three current generations: Baby Boomers and Gen X (our parents and grandparents), Millennials (most of us), and Gen Z (our younger siblings / children). Read on to better understand your family, and we promise you that your year end family holiday is going to be more memorable!
Baby Boomers and Gen X: Cherishing Memories in Familiar Places.
The Baby Boom generation is most often defined as those individuals born between 1946 and 1964, while Generation X is defined as those born from 1965 to 1980. Now in their later years, Baby Boomers and Gen X-ers tend to look for travels as their way to relax, so they'd avoid long travel times to visit new destinations far away, and instead coming back to their favourite domestic destinations or neighbouring countries.
They're more family-oriented, and since they have the means for it, they're looking to have the more luxurious options and most comfortable accomodations, even if it lacks the adventure and local experience. Think about five star hotels over AirBnB stays, and fancy Michelin-starred restaurants over unique street foods.
Boomers and Gen X-ers are also more faithful to places and experiences, such as the same hotel they stayed in when they first visited a certain city many years ago, or the same restaurant they dined in years ago. This is not always a bad thing, since it invokes a good sense of nostalgia and authenticity, which something newly established can't always provide.
Another fun fact is that although boomers and Gen X-ers are notably tech-savvy, they are far more likely to use vacations as an opportunity to disconnect from technology, while reconnecting with family, loved ones, and local culture. Simply put, they're are tech-proficient, but not tech-dependent. They appreciate the convenience of online and mobile services but don't require it 24/7.
Millennials: Varieties and Budget Conscious
Millennials are those born from 1981 to 1996, basically most of us. Compared to the previous generation, variety Is the Spice of the Millennial traveler’s life. Millenials are usually aren’t interested in repeatedly taking the same types of trips; they want variety and a travel experience that feels quintessentially their own. Across the board, millennial travelers seek relaxation on one trip, visit family on another, and then escape on a romantic getaway for the next.
Millennials are also unique in the sense that they're extremely budget conscious, but still willing to spend. This is all about priorities. Millennials might have a hard time buying property, but for a luxurious holiday in Bali's famous Nusa Dua beach resorts for the family... Why not?
In terms of technology use, Millennials are more familiar and accepting to online bookings and reviews, often basing their travel plans on a series of good online reviews for a place they've never visited before. Millennials are more willing to try out new stuffs and explore new destinations, while staying conscious to their (and their family's) comfort when travelling.
Gen Z: Exploration and Adventures
Generation Z are those born in late 1990s to early 2000s, basically the kids, teens, and young adults between the age of 7 to 22. While this generation lacks the means to travel much (and still rely mostly on their parents' budget for travelling), they make it up by being the most resourceful of the bunch, being the generation most provicient and adept with technology and social media. They'll have the most updated infos and reviews about any restaurants and coffeeshops, new experiences, places to stay and spots to explore.
People falling under the Gen Z category are also more open to trying and exploring new places and experiences, and are not necessarily bothered by comfort and luxury, prefering authentic, localized experiences and adventures. Likely to travel more with friends, Gen Zs will often explore more places off the beaten path, and in the process discovering on their first visit things their parents and grandparents will never find, no matter how many times they've visited that place.
No matter which generation you're from, one thing stays the same when it comes to holidays: You'd want to have capture the memories you made while traveling and turn them into great photos for safekeeping. SweetEscape is the perfect answer for this need! We're an online on-demand photography platform that connects you to thousands of local professional photographers in more than 500 cities around the world to capture your every moment, so wherever you plan to go for your year end holiday, you can have great photos to bring home. Book your session today and let's #MakeLifeMemorable!
