What the Tourism industry needs to know about generations

“The American travel industry is staring at a generational divide. On one side are the deep-pocketed baby boomers, with more money and free time than ever. On the other are the burgeoning Generation Xers, whose oldest members turned 40 this year and who increasingly are asserting their buying power. The challenge facing hotels, golf courses, airlines, travel agents and tourism marketers around the country is how to appeal to two groups of consumers whose tastes could not be more different. Typical boomers look for a natural environment, luxurious decor and comfortable accommodations when they travel. Average Gen Xers want an urban environment, trendy decor and functional accommodations.”

So begins a great article, “Hotels face challenge of generation gap“, By Stephanie Paterik in The Arizona Republic (4 Dec 2005).

The older Silent generation is SKI’ing (Spending Their Kids Inheritance), and doing more global leisure travel than any retirees ever have before. Boomers are big business travellers. Xers are big leisure travellers, but want different levels of comfort and cultural experience to their older travelling counterparts. And, Xers are spending more on experiences than any other generation has ever done before. All this adds up to great opportunities, to those who understand the desires of these very different markets.

Paterik’s article is a short, but insightful, starting point for thinking about Minding the Generation Gap.

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