Millennials are the generation born between the early 1980s and the early 2000s. Spanning the wide demographic between Gen X and Gen Z, millennials are currently in their mid-20s and 30s, and they dominate the travel industry.
With this generation at the helm of the travel trends, it is a large part of the travel statistics and facts we have at our disposal. Let’s embark on a journey with stops at each of the most interesting millennial travel statistics.
Quick Links
- Millennial Travel Stats Highlights
- Millennial Travel General Industry Stats
- Millennial Travel Planning and Booking Stats
- Millennial Travel Accommodation Stats
- Millennial Travel Insurance Stats
- Millennial Travel Destination Stats
- Millennial Travel Spending Stats
- Millennial Travel Habits Stats
- Millennial Travel Social Media Stats
- Millennial Travel COVID-19 Impact Stats
- Millennial Travel Motivators Stats
- FAQs
- Final Thoughts
Millennial Travel Stats Highlights
Millennials are now the largest living generation in the world. They have overtaken the previous leaders, the baby boomers. As this generation is now well into adulthood, it is no surprise that it has this much of an influence on global travel. Here’s a quick overview of the most exciting millennial travel stats.
- Millennials living in the United States travel 35 days per year on average.
- Millennials take at least 4 domestic leisure trips per year.
- Millennials account for 44% of the digital nomad population.
- 88% of millennials enjoy sightseeing when they travel.
- 7 in 10 millennials want to go on an unforgettable trip in the near future.
Millennial Travel General Industry Stats
The travel industry is a large part of the economy, and it is heavily influenced by the millennial generation. Let’s take a look at some of the most fascinating general stats about millennial travel.
Older Millennials Are Planning To Spend More on Travel
(Source: Statista)
Older millennials are planning on spending over $4,558 in the next 12 months, while younger millennials are planning on spending over $3,648. This shows that older millennials tend to have more finances for travel and that they are willing to pay more for trips.
While most millennials tend to spend money on trips, there are slight differences between the younger and older ones.
Millennials Plan the Most Leisure Trips
(Source: Statista)
Millennials tend to plan the most trips for leisure throughout the year. On average, they are planning to take at least 4.1 domestic trips in the next 12 months. They are also planning around 2.6 international flights. Baby boomers are second when it comes to domestic travel, with 4 visits planned on average.
Gen X follows, with 3.8 domestic trips planned on average. When it comes to international travel, Gen X comes after millennials, with 2.1 trips planned, while baby boomers have 1.5.
Younger Millennials Are Planning To Take More Vacations
(Source: Statista)
Of the millennials living in the United States, the younger ones plan to take an average of 3.7 trips in the next 12 months. In comparison, older millennials plan to take an average of 3.3 trips in the next 12 months.
There is not a massive discrepancy across the millennial spectrum, and it shows the determination this generation has to take at least a few trips throughout the year.
Millennials Enjoy Dining Out While on Vacation
(Source: Statista)
91% of American millennials choose dining out as their favorite activity while on vacation. 90% prefer fun attractions, while 88% select sightseeing as their favorite activity. 85% prefer learning new things, and 84% choose shopping, while 82% engage with nature or visit cultural attractions.
76% select nightlife as their favorite activity while on vacation, and 74% of millennials like to attend cultural events and performances. This shows that while there are some specific preferences, millennials engage in a wide range of activities while on vacation.
Millennials Use Text Messages as Preferred Tech While Traveling
(Source: Statista)
While millennials have a wide range of tech options at their disposal, the majority opt for the most straightforward one. 77% of millennials use text messages as their preferred tech option during travel, while 71% pick to check emails.
67% spend their time on websites researching activities in their chosen destination, and 62% make phone calls. 57% use Facebook while traveling, and 55% of millennials upload photos of their travels while on them.
All Types of Millennials Want To Travel for Experiences
(Source: Statista)
When asked why they want to travel, 57% of both young millennials and old millennials stated that they are influenced by attractions and activities they can experience in new destinations.
51% of young millennials also want to experience off-the-beaten-path types of destinations, while only 38% of older millennials prefer the same kind of location. 27% of younger millennials go wherever they can get a good deal, while 24% of older millennials are swayed by this factor.
Millennial Travel Planning and Booking Stats
Millennial travel involves plenty of planning. Booking is a large part of the process, with a lot of research done to get the best deals on flights, accommodations, and experiences. Here’s a look at the most fascinating figures about millennial travel planning and booking.
Younger Millennials Use Friends and Family as Information Sources
(Source: Statista)
56% of younger millennials prefer using their friends and family as sources of information while they are planning a trip. 35% use search engine results, while 34% are inspired by travel review websites.
29% of younger millennials use social media posts from travel or destination providers to plan their trips, and 27% use social media posts made by friends or family members. 23% use destination websites, while only 19% use printed visitor guides, and 17% use magazine articles to inspire their planning and booking for future holidays.
Older Millennials Use Visitor Guides More
(Source: Statista)
Older millennials have a more comprehensive range of information sources for their planning and booking stages. 38% use information gleaned from friends or family, and 35% use travel review websites.
30% of older millennials use search engine results to plan their trips, while 25% use social media posts made by friends or family, and 24% use printed visitor guides, destination websites, and online visitor guides.
Millennials Prefer User-generated Content
(Source: Statista)
72.1% of millennials opt for user-generated content when planning and booking their travel. This includes text comments, user reviews, shared posts on social media, and other types of recommendations shared by other travelers.
66.9% use general social media posts, while 45.2% use printed resources like visitor guides, and 28.5% use DMO websites or destination management organization websites.
Online Peer Reviews Help Millennials Decide
(Source: Statista)
When deciding on a vacation destination, 16% of millennials living in the United States use online peer reviews and ratings before settling on their choice.
13% use social media posts made by friends or family members to help them decide, while 11% use magazine articles or professionally printed guidebooks with reviews in them. This shows the importance of other reviews and ratings when it comes to deciding on the perfect travel destination for millennials.
Google Is the Most Visited Website for Travel Information
(Source: Statista)
Millennials opt for Google on a regular basis when they are seeking travel information. Younger millennials are the ones using Google most, with 62% of them going to the search engine frequently to find out more about their travel plans.
Older millennials use Google less, at 40%, but it is still their most visited website for travel information. Younger millennials use travel service provider websites in second place, at 37%, while older millennials use Expedia, at 40%. 35% of older millennials use TripAdvisor, compared to 27% of younger millennials.
Travelocity is another website chosen by millennials, with 26% of older millennials using it for travel information, along with 18% of younger millennials.
Millennials Prefer Booking Through Travel Websites
(Source: Statista)
64% of millennials use travel websites when they book a trip. 47% use the website of a specific hotel or airline brand, while 24% book accommodation and flights over the phone or through a travel agent. 23% of millennials book travel through AirBnB, and 22% use a tourism destination’s official website.
This shows that while millennials prefer travel websites when booking trips, there is a range of options at their disposal that they use to some degree. Travel websites like Expedia or Travelocity provide a more streamlined booking experience, which may be why so many millennials opt for them.
Millennial Travel Accommodation Stats
Accommodation is an essential aspect of millennial travel. It tends to take precedence when booking trips, both in terms of inspiration and decision-making. Let’s take a look at some of the most exciting millennial travel accommodation stats.
Millennials Prefer Staying at Hotels
(Source: Statista)
53% of millennials prefer booking a full-service hotel or resort, one of the most convenient and readily available options. 42% choose to stay with friends or family, while 41% opt for the modern comforts of an all-inclusive resort. 35% of millennials enjoy an extra touch of luxury and book luxury hotels or resorts.
33% prefer the simple living available on camping trips, and 32% opt for a house or villa rental. Cruise ships are also popular, with 29% of millennials choosing this as their preferred accommodation while traveling. 23% opt for other B&Bs or small inns, or they book apartments or condo rentals. 20% opt for boutique hotels or for their own vacation homes.
Millennials Occasionally Use Owner-direct Accommodation
(Source: Statista)
As owner-direct accommodation is getting more popular, millennials are paying attention to the trend. 30% of millennials occasionally use owner-direct accommodation, while 27% have stated they are interested in trying to book this type of option.
22% of millennials use owner-direct accommodation regularly. 13% are unfamiliar with what owner-direct accommodation entails, and 9% have no desire to use it. This shows that many millennials are open to the option, at least for occasional use.
Younger Millennials Use More Shared Accommodation
(Source: Statista)
When it comes to the use of shared accommodation while traveling, 43% of younger millennials opt for this choice while on vacation. Older millennials seem less inclined to do so, with only 31% of them taking up the shared accommodation option when they are traveling.
This circles back to the difference between how much younger millennials are willing to spend on trips when compared to older millennials. The difference in circumstances across the millennial age range influences what type of accommodation they choose during their travels.
Older Millennials Prefer Hotel Locations
(Source: Statista)
When traveling, older millennials prefer the convenience of hotels for an additional reason. 60% of older millennials choose hotels due to their location, while 56% of younger millennials make the same choice.
On top of that, 67% of older millennials don’t want to share accommodation with strangers while taking a trip. Despite choosing to share accommodation more often than older millennials, 70% of younger millennials also state that they don’t want to share accommodation with strangers and would instead do it with people they know, like friends or relatives.
48% of young millennials don’t think that shared economy accommodation can match the benefits provided by a hotel, and 46% of older millennials hold the same opinion.
The Majority of Young Millennials Wouldn’t Feel Safe Home Sharing
(Source: Statista)
59% of younger millennials have stated that they would not feel safe using home sharing as their accommodation while traveling. 48% of older millennials feel the same way. 37% of younger millennials don’t like to use shared accommodation while traveling because they don’t enjoy being rated by hosts or by property managers, while 30% of older millennials hold the same opinion.
The lack of food service options in shared accommodation keeps 38% of older millennials away from this choice, as well as 27% of younger millennials. 34% of older millennials don’t opt for shared accommodation due to the lack of amenities. This only prevents 24% of younger millennials from choosing shared accommodation.
Complimentary Internet Is the Most Desired Hotel Amenity
(Source: Statista)
Millennials from the United States have one clear preference when it comes to the most desired amenity they seek in hotels. 51% of them want to have access to free internet or Wi-Fi. 39% of millennials choose privacy as their most desired hotel amenity, while 33% choose to have access to a swimming pool.
28% wish their hotel choice to be close to the must-see attractions in their desired destination or all-inclusive packages. 26% of millennials want to be within walking distance of shopping locations or restaurants, while 23% wish for on-site restaurants.
Millennial Travel Insurance Stats
Travel insurance is becoming a staple when it comes to millennials going on trips. Let’s find out more about the data associated with this travel add-on.
Millennials Are Buying More Travel Insurance
(Source: Statista)
In 2017, 65% of millennials added travel insurance to their travel plans. This was the highest share achieved in that decade, following 35% in 2016 and preceding a share of 23.6% in 2018. This shows that travel insurance is becoming a regular companion for millennials while they are on trips around the world.
Lack of Use Led To Decreased Insurance Purchases in 2018
(Source: Statista)
The decrease in travel insurance sales for millennials in 2018 can be explained by a straightforward statistic: 39.8% of millennials stated that they did not need to purchase travel insurance that year.
25.4% of those said that they did not buy travel insurance because they went on fewer trips in 2018, and 25.49% of millennials believed the cost of the policies was too high.
Millennials Understand Insurance Slightly Less Than More Mature Generations
(Source: Statista)
45.6% of millennials state that they understand how travel insurance works. Older generations like Gen X and baby boomers understand it more, with 46.3% of participants saying that they do.
The difference is only slight, and it shows that millennials tend to be aware of how travel insurance works and how it can benefit them, almost on a par with older generations, which tend to invest more in it.
Millennials Want More Customization Options for Travel Insurance
(Source: Statista)
43.1% of millennials want to have customizable travel insurance. They want to make sure they are getting the most out of a travel insurance policy without spending money on aspects that are not relevant to them.
In comparison, only 20.6% of boomers and Gen X respondents stated that they would like more customizable travel insurance. This shows that millennials want more options for their travel insurance, while older generations are happy to take what is available, regardless of how relevant all the options included in the policy are to them.
Millennials Want Travel Insurance They Can Turn On and Off
(Source: Statista)
Speaking of customizable travel insurance policies, 42.4% of millennials want access to travel insurance policies they can turn off as needed. Only 24.3% of older generations want the same thing.
This shows that millennials want to invest in policies that suit them and that they wish to get the most out of them. Being able to turn a travel insurance policy on and off would allow millennials to enjoy it for several trips instead of having to get a new one per travel plan.
Millennials Want More Technologically Advanced Travel Insurance
(Source: Statista)
Millennials are looking for technological advances in their travel insurance policies. 37.6% of them want to see more advancements in their travel insurance to go with the other progress achieved in the world of technology.
Older generations are less interested in travel insurance having technological advances. Only 15.7% of mature people are looking for technological advances in the travel insurance policies they choose.
Millennial Travel Destination Stats
Millennial travel follows specific trends, and some destinations tend to win over others. Let’s find out what the preferred destinations of millennials are and what that reveals about millennial travel.
India Had the Highest Visitation Growth
(Source: ITS Characteristics)
Indian millennials started traveling more to Canada. The visitation growth increased by 24.6%, which shows that millennials living in India became more interested in international travel to North America.
Brazilian millennials traveling to Canada also had a visitation growth of 17.6%, while Chinese millennials from mainland China had a visitation growth of 17.2%. This goes to show that North America became an overall more attractive destination for millennials from different parts of the Asian continent.
Almost Half of Millennials Have an International Trip Booked
(Source: Expedia)
49% of millennials have an international trip booked or are considering near-future travel to an international destination. They are almost on par with Gen Z, following behind at 47% and well ahead of Gen X at 34% and baby boomers at 20%.
This shows that millennials are highly interested in trips abroad and willing to invest money and time in discovering new locations outside their home countries.
Millennials Love Beach Resorts
(Source: Resonance)
40% of millennials are likely to take a trip to a beach resort in the next 24 months. 38% are planning to visit a major city instead. This shows that millennials are interested in both relaxing and exploring urban locations.
Beach resorts have great appeal to millennials of all ages, which highlights that the benefits offered by these types of destinations are attractive regardless of the circumstances and differences that separate millennials from each other.
Affluent Millennials Prefer City Trips
(Source: Resonance)
Of the millennials with household earnings exceeding $100,000, 40% of them are planning trips to major cities in the next 24 months. This shows that despite beach resorts and major city trips being almost tied when it comes to all millennials, the preference for cities increases with earnings and with age.
The preference for cities is unsurprising, considering that millennials love adventure and have a fascination with urban settings, regardless of whether they usually live in a big city or not.
Iceland and Portland Are Winning
(Source: Resonance)
Over 5,000 young millennial respondents chose bathing in the Blue Lagoon in Iceland as their activity of choice in the next 12 to 24 months.
This activity won over visiting the Great Wall in China or the Great Pyramids of Giza in Egypt, notoriously famous activities in past years. Portland, Oregon, is also drawing a tremendous millennial crowd in the next 12 to 24 months, with potential millennial visitors attracted by how the city caters to tourists.
Older Millennials Prefer New York City
(Source: Resonance)
41% of older millennials earning over $100,000 a year believe that restaurant quality and dining quality have an influence on their travel plans. It comes as no surprise, then, that they continue to flock to New York City and that many are planning to go there either again or for the first time in the next 12 to 24 months.
9 out of 10 older millennial respondents place the importance of fine dining ahead of sightseeing, learning new things, and attractions. New York City has over 77 restaurants with at least 1 Michelin star. Millennials born between 1980 and 1995 rate New York city higher than other destinations like Paris or Abu Dhabi.
Millennial Travel Spending Stats
The variety in the millennial age range means that younger and older millennials have different travel spending habits. The unifying factor, however, is that they all spend money on travel plans and bookings. Here’s how millennial travel spending works in numbers.
Solo Millennial Travelers Prefer Spending Money on Experiences
(Source: Resonance)
When traveling by themselves, millennial respondents place fun attractions as the highest priority on their lists, at 90%. This is followed by dining at 89% and by learning new things at 88%.
This shows that solo millennial travelers are passionate about participating in the culture they are visiting through immersion. Sightseeing is also an important choice, at 87%. Among these options, solo millennial travelers have also stated that they want to have at least one once-in-a-lifetime activity while on a trip.
Millennial Families Are Traveling and Spending More
(Source: Resonance)
Millennial families are traveling 35% more. This shows that millennials are hungry for travel and that they are happy to share trips with their families. On average, millennial trips within the US cost around $4,580 per family. Millennials are happy to invest in these trips, with 44% of trips in the next 12 to 24 months expected to be millennial families traveling together.
Millennial Families Spent Billions in 2016
(Source: Resonance)
Throughout 2016, the spending that millennial families did on travel rose to $50.4 billion in total. They also went on 36.9 million vacations, which shows how rapidly this millennial group is growing when it comes to travel.
The sector is benefitting from the travel spending of millennial families, and this spending is expected to grow in the coming years after staying at a stable number since 2016.
Millennials Are Likely To Spend Money on Vacation Homes
(Source: Resonance)
52% of millennials say that they would ideally like to own a vacation home one day, with 24% of them stating that they are considering purchasing a vacation home in the next 1 to 3 years.
53% of millennial respondents suggested that they feel more likely to buy a vacation home before purchasing a primary property. Most millennials expect to pay under $500,000 for their future vacation home, but 14% of them see themselves paying between $500,000 and $1 million. Only 2% plan to spend over $1 million on a vacation home.
Millennial Women Made the Industry Billions
(Source: Deloitte)
Millennial women have been behind 80% of travel decisions regarding spending and destinations. They also ended up spending over $125 billion on travel and tourism, which highlights how much of an asset they are to the industry.
It also shows that women in general, no matter their ages, are becoming an essential aspect of the travel sector’s success around the world.
Millennials Spend $3000 on Average per Trip
(Source: WYSE)
Millennials spend over $3000 on average per trip, no matter whether they are traveling alone, with friends, as a couple, or as a family. This highlights the importance of millennials to this sector’s profitability. It also shows precisely why so many travel providers cater their offers specifically to millennials.
Regardless of the type of the variables involved with the trips millennials take, they contribute thousands per trip, and they tend to take several trips per year.
Millennial Travel Habits Stats
Millennials frequently travel, regardless of whether they make international or domestic trips and regardless of age. Considering this wealth of travel, it is no surprise that millennials have established specific habits regarding their trips. Here are the most interesting millennial travel habits facts and figures.
Millennials Like To Travel for Relaxation
(Source: Expedia)
55% of millennials travel for relaxation, booking trips to destinations where they know they can unwind. 50% book travel to visit family, while 45% go on trips with families outside of their hometowns. 34% of millennials book trips for romantic getaways, usually in charming locations where they can spend time relaxing with their significant others.
Millennial Women Are Traveling Alone More Than Ever
(Source: Resonance)
Travel around the world is evolving, and many women are now going on solo travels at a much more frequent rate than before. American millennial women, in particular, are ranked in the top spot when it comes to solo voyages around the world.
Most of them take more than 3 trips by themselves per year. This has caused an increase of 230% in women-only travel companies to cater to these emerging solo travelers.
Millennials Use Their Phones for Research
(Source: Google/Ipsos Connect)
50% of millennials use their smartphone to research and book their trips. This highlights the importance of travel providers offering websites and apps that are easily accessible on phones.
Many destinations can miss out on receiving millennial travel if they are not ready to cater to their needs, including boosting what they include in terms of digital access.
Many Millennials Engage in Solo Travel
(Source: Resonance)
Over 58% of millennials living around the world have stated that they are willing to go on trips alone. Of the older generations, only 47% consider themselves ready to do the same. When traveling alone, 56% of millennials say that they choose their destinations based on safety concerns.
51% choose their solo trips based on cost and 50% on the quality of the natural environment and landscape.
Millennials Plan Their Trips More Than Their Retirement
(Source: Fortune)
55% of millennials have admitted that they spend much more time planning for their trips than for their eventual retirement. This highlights the importance of travel to millennials and how it shapes their near-future plans more than their far-future ones. It also shows how much millennials prioritize travel, regardless of how they are traveling, whether solo or with families or friends.
Millennials Love a Deal
(Source: Expedia)
92% of millennials look for the best deals when they are traveling. This is the top travel personality millennials usually have followed by 89% basing their plans on going wherever they can explore the great outdoors, and being active. 83% of millennials prefer opting for an all-inclusive resort where they don’t have to worry about any of the details.
82% will travel anywhere on their bucket list as soon as possible because they consider it essential to cross off destinations. This shows the range of priorities that millennials have and how they choose to plan their travels based on what most interests them at any given time.
Millennial Travel Social Media Stats
Social media is becoming ever more influential, and this is reflected in the trends of millennial travel. Let’s see how social media impacts the numbers and facts involved in the trips of millennials.
Millennials Believe Booking Has the Best Social Media Presence
(Source: Statista)
Since the end of August 2021, 45% of millennials believe Booking has the best social media presence in the United States. This is well ahead of AirBnB, following with 30%, or Expedia, at 24%. These three are the only companies in the double digits for millennials.
In comparison, AirBnB leads for Gen Z, with 42% of respondents thinking it has the best social media presence. 37% of Gen Z believes Booking has the best social media presence, while 34% think it’s Expedia, and 19% prefer Homestay. 12% choose Sonder instead. Baby boomers prefer Booking and Sonder in equal amounts.
Millennials Post Travel Photos on Social Media Every Day
(Source: Statista)
Millennials going on trips like to use their travels to enhance their social media presence. 55% of millennials post travel photos on their social media accounts every day while they are on trips, with many of them posting full albums by the end of a holiday.
This allows them to keep up with family or friends while also updating them about their lives. Travel always fits the aesthetic of a millennial’s Instagram grid, and they tend to feature their trips heavily, no matter where they go or what they end up doing.
Chinese Millennials State Social Validation Is Important
(Source: Statista)
58% of Chinese millennials state that social validation is highly important to them. This applies to their travel photos as well, with many claiming that a lack of social media interaction on their travel photos will have an effect on them.
This shows how essential social media interaction has become to many millennials around the world and how it may influence their travel plans and destination choices.
Millennials Are Inspired by Photos Used by Hotels on Social Media
(Source: Statista)
When they are considering locations for travel, many millennials get inspiration from the social media accounts of travel providers like hotels. In fact, 40% of millennials admit that they make bookings based on how effectively some hotels use photos in their social media posts.
This shows not only the impact of social media on millennial travel but also highlights the importance of curating social media accounts in a way that inspires potential customers.
Many Millennials Want To Present Idealized Travel Photos
(Source: SiteMinder)
40% of millennials have admitted that they want to curate photos of their travels and of themselves on trips to create idealized versions of everything involved in them. This highlights the performative aspect of social media but also shows how important it is for travel providers and destinations to cater to this trend.
Millennials prioritize travel, and they also prioritize how their future travel photos will look on their social media. This drive to constantly curate experiences influences where millennials go and what they do when they are traveling. It also explains why there’s such a need for unique experiences in these travels.
Millennials Use Social Media To Find Cheap Flights
(Source: YPulse)
While millennials are willing to spend on travel, they have also been shown to use social media to scour the internet for the best deals, especially when it comes to flights. This is shown in the vast increase in Google searches.
The search term ‘flight hacks for cheap flights’ has been searched at an increase of 430% in 2021 and 2022, while ‘travel hack flights’ has increased by 200% in the same timeframe. Millennials use these search terms, then click the links leading to various social media accounts talking about how to get the best deals.
Millennial Travel COVID-19 Impact Stats
As with everything else, COVID-19 has had a direct impact on millennial travel. The travel industry, in general, has had to recover from the losses experienced, particularly between the lockdowns and restrictions of 2020 and 2021. Here’s how the data shows what happened to millennial travel during and after the height of the pandemic.
Millennials Consider Travel More Important After the Pandemic
(Source: YPulse)
64% of millennials have stated that travel has become more important to them in the wake of the pandemic. Before 2020, they did not consider it as much of a priority as they do now.
The lockdowns and travel restrictions had a significant impact on how millennials approach travel now, after being kept away from it for several periods in the past 3 years. It’s also made it more critical than ever to chase after bucket list destinations and activities.
The pandemic inspired a sort of urgency in millennials to do more of what they want quicker than they’d planned. This is shown in the travel decisions they are currently making.
The Vaccines Made Millennials Feel Safer Regarding Travel
(Source: Avail)
While the thirst to travel never left millennials during the pandemic, the presence of the various vaccines made them feel safer about going on trips. 77% of millennials have stated that the COVID-19 vaccines made them feel more comfortable and safer during their travels. It also helped them get back into the habit of traveling while reducing the stress related to it in the wake of the pandemic.
Most Millennials Weren’t Stopped From Traveling in 2022
(Source: Avail)
65% of millennials stated that COVID-19 did not stop them from traveling throughout 2022. Only 35% of them said that it might prevent them from traveling at the beginning of the year.
This shows that with restrictions and lockdowns lifted, millennials have not kept the pandemic in mind as much as in previous years. This indicates that millennials are quickly returning to constant traveling and even more than before the pandemic in many cases.
The Biggest Millennial Concerns Were Infection and War
(Source: Avail)
Throughout 2022, millennials traveled. Their biggest concern related to the COVID-19 pandemic was the risk of infection while on trips. This was the same central concern that Gen Z had, while Gen X and baby boomers feared large crowds more.
The war in Ukraine also had an impact on millennial travel, with 73% of millennials around the world stating that it might influence their international travel plans when the war started.
This shows that millennials are very aware of what is affecting the world around them and where they want to travel. It also highlights that they will not stop traveling even in fraught times, but they might alter their plans.
Millennials Fully Returned to Fun Travel in 2022
(Source: Avail)
76% of millennials traveled for leisure in 2022. They planned between 1 and 5 trips just for fun throughout the year. Despite COVID-19 still being present, millennials returned to form in 2022 and traveled extensively for fun for the first time in years. Millennials also showed themselves much more willing to plan for more spontaneous trips than ever before.
Millennials Are Concerned About Lack of Masking
(Source: Avail)
Among other concerns like infection and large crowds, COVID-19 has left millennials worried about the lack of masking when it comes to traveling. 20% of millennial respondents have stated that lack of masking features is high on their list of concerns while traveling during the lingering pandemic.
Millennial Travel Motivators Stats
Millennials are highly motivated to travel, but some factors influence them above others when it comes to booking trips. Here’s a look at what motivates millennials to travel around the world.
Older Millennials Want To Explore
(Source: Statista)
79% of older millennials are motivated by a wish to explore, so they are likely to book destinations that allow them to do plenty of discovery. 75% of them also want to experience different cultures, which shows an interest in exploring new places by way of immersion and acclimatization to the local customs and living.
Young Millennials Want To Discover New Cuisines
(Source: Statista)
Younger millennials are also motivated by discovery. 70% of them have stated that they book their travel based on whether they can explore new cuisines and learn more about the local culture.
They are also motivated to travel to destinations that allow them to embark on self-discovery processes, with 58% saying that this plays a significant role in deciding where to go.
Mental Health Is an Important Factor
(Source: Avail)
At least 21% of millennials have been motivated to travel by a dip in their mental health. This influenced them to seek out trips to locations that would give them a welcome mental health boost, either due to the perks of the destination itself or the comforts of the accommodation. Many millennials traveling for their mental health sought out relaxing and sunny locations.
Millennials Want Their Money To Contribute to the Local Economy
(Source: Forbes)
Another motivating factor for millennials is boosting the local economy of the travel destinations they choose. 83% of millennials are interested in contributing to the local economy. This shows an awareness of their impact on where they travel and on the environment.
Millennials Are Motivated To Make More Mindful Travel Plans
(Source: Forbes)
83% of millennials are motivated to react to the world around them by making more mindful choices regarding travel. This involves more research into what companies they are booking travel with and how they approach travel in general, especially when it comes to making eco-friendly choices whenever possible.
Millennials Are Motivated by New Experiences
(Source: Expedia)
80% of millennials want to travel to get new experiences. Getting unique experiences is a massive motivation for millennials, and they expect to get this out of every trip they book in the near future. This shows that travel providers should be ready to cater to this need and to put new experiences and activities within the reach of millennial travelers.
FAQs
Which Country Features Highly in the Near Future Travel Plans of Millennials?
France is the #1 country that millennials around the world want to visit in the near future. It is followed by Hawaii, Japan, and the Caribbean. Both the millennial and Gen Z generations favor these top destinations for their travel plans.
Which City Is the Most Sought After by Millennial Travelers?
Millennial travelers want to visit Barcelona, in Spain. This is one of their top-rated destinations and is followed by Paris in France, and Miami, in Florida.
When Do Millennials Want To Travel Next?
Most millennials want to travel in the next 1-3 months, but many would settle for 4-6 months from now. 14% of them are also willing and ready to travel within a month.
Final Thoughts
Millennial travel is a considerable addition to the industry at large, seeing as millennials are all of traveling age. The broad spectrum in age ranges also shows how diverse the needs and wants of millennial travelers are.
Amar was born and raised in England and embarked on an 11-country round-the-world gap year after graduation and then became well and truly hooked. The first gap year inspired a second, which ended up being a 23-country down-the-world trip from Canada to Antarctica. Since then, Amar has spent the last 14 years traveling the 7 continents.