The 2018 Future of Millennial Travel Report is your blueprint for the next decade of North American travel. It’s packed with insights gleaned from nearly 1,600 U.S. Millennial travelers interviewed and presented with rich infographics to illustrate their patterns and preferences. Robust editorial dives deep into today’s most effective strategies by the world’s most innovative travel companies. The report’s nine chapters range from the potential of Airbnb to take over the future of travel, to the dramatic rise of Millennials hitting the road with young children in record numbers.

2. Resonance Consultancy is a leading
advisor on real estate, tourism and
economic development for countries, cities
and communities around the world.
ABOUT US

3. Chris Fair, President
cfair@resonanceco.com
RESONANCECO.COM
Vancouver | New York
ABOUT US
@resonanceco, @crfair
@resonanceco
@resonanceco

4. AGENDA
01 METHODOLOGY
02 MILLENOMICS
03 WHO IS THE MILLENNIAL TRAVELER?
04 TYPES OF VACATIONS
05 THE MILLENNIAL MINDSET
06 KEY DECISION FACTORS
07 EXPERIENCES THAT MATTER
08 TYPE OF ACCOMMODATION
9 PATH TO PURCHASE
10 BEAUTIFUL DESTINATIONS

5. Our 2018 study focuses on Millennial
travelers that we define as U.S. residents
between the ages of 20 to 36 who’ve taken
an overnight vacation at least 75 miles from
home in the past 12 months.
METHODOLOGY

6. 2. MILLENOMICS

7. MILLENOMICS
Millennials (age 20-36) surpassed Baby
Boomers in 2016 to become America’s largest
demographic cohort.
Millennial families—defined as married or
unmarried couples living together with
children aged 17 or under currently in the
household—make up 16 percent of all
American travelers, according to MMGY.
They went on a combined 36.9 million
vacations and spent $50.4 billion on leisure
travel during the past 12 months. They are the
driving force behind growth in travel this year.

8. 3. WHO IS THE MILLENNIAL
TRAVELLER?

9. AGE
53% of Millennial travelers surveyed are
29 to 36 years old, while 47% are 20 to 28
years old.

10. INCOME
More than half of U.S. Millennial travelers
have household incomes between $50K
and $100K.
As of 2016, there were 1.9 million
households aged 24-35 with household
income of $35-$50k and 11.9 million with
income of $50k+.

11. MARITAL STATUS
More than 6 in 10 Millennial travelers are
married, while one third are single.

12. CHILDREN
More than half of Millennial travelers have
children under 18 years in the household.

13. 4. TYPES OF VACATIONS:
A STUDY IN CONTRASTS

14. ALL MILLENNIALS
In the next 24 months, Millennial travelers
are most likely to take family vacations
with kids, visit beach resorts, take
vacations with friends, and visit major
cities.

15. TOGETHERING
Our research shows that Millennials aren’t
just traveling more than ever before; 44%
of them are traveling with kids in tow, too
and 40% are vacationing with friends.

16. SOLOISTS
1 in 4 of Millennials polled in our study
said they are likely to take a vacation on
their own in the next 24 months.

17. CITIES
According to the vacation preferences
revealed by our study, Millennial travelers
are almost as likely to visit a major
metropolitan city (38%) as they are to visit
a beach resort (40%) in the next 24 months.
City trips soared 98% between 2011 and
2016 to reach 26% of all holidays.
—World Travel Monitor®

18. CAMPING
in the next 24 months, 34% of Millennial
travelers plan to go camping. That number
is only a few percentage points shy of those
who plan to visit a major metropolitan city
(38%).

19. 5. THE MILLENNIAL MINDSET

20. TYPES OF TRAVELERS
01 ALL-IN ENTHUSIASTS
02 FRUGAL FAMILIES
03 ACTIVE ADVENTURERS
04 SOPHISTICATED EXPLORERS
05 CONVENIENCE TRAVELERS

21. ALL-IN ENTHUSIASTS
They’re interested in taking most types of
vacations, and everything is important
when deciding on a destination. They’re
more likely to participate in most types of
activities, and they go on vacations for
many different reasons.

22. FRUGAL FAMILIES
They take fewer & shorter trips that are
close to home, and have a greater interest
in family vacations with kids and
multi-generational vacations compared to
other segments. They place greater
importance on safety, cost, and favorable
climate.

23. ACTIVE ADVENTURERS
Greater interest in participating in outdoor
sports & health/fitness activities. Less
interested in family or multi-generational
vacations. More likely to travel greater
distances to get to their destination.

24. SOPHISTICATED EXPLORERS
Take fewer vacations per year to further
destinations. More likely to enjoy
sightseeing, visiting cultural attractions &
learning new things. Do a lot of research
prior to vacation & feel that exploring new
cultures & traditions while on vacation is
important.

25. CONVENIENCE TRAVELERS
Take shorter, less frequent trips per year
that are close to home. English spoken is
important when choosing vacation
destination. Less likely to participate in all
vacation activities, except dining & fun
attractions.

26. WHAT TYPE OF TRAVELERS
ARE MILLENNIALS?
All-in Enthusiasts represent the majority of
Millennial travelers compared to only 25%
for all U.S. travelers.

27. 6. KEY DECISION FACTORS IN
CHOOSING A VACATION
DESTINATION

28. ALL MILLENNIALS
The two most important decision factors
when Millennials choose a vacation
destination are safety and cost, followed by
English spoken and quality of natural
environment/scenery.

29. ALL-IN ENTHUSIASTS
Safety, opportunities to learn something
new and cost are the most important
decision factors when All-in Enthusiasts
choose a vacation destination.

30. ADVENTURERS
Cost, safety and the quality of the natural
environment are the most important
decision factors when Adventurers choose
a vacation destination.

31. FAMILIES
Safety, cost and English-speaking
destinations are the most important
decision factors when Families choose a
vacation destination.

32. 7. EXPERIENCES THAT
MATTER

33. ALL MILLENNIALS
Dining, fun attractions, & sightseeing are
the top activities Millennial travelers enjoy
while on vacation, followed by learning
new things & shopping. Participating in a
once-in-a-lifetime activity & volunteering
are the most desired future activities.

34. ALL-IN ENTHUSIASTS
Dining, fun attractions, and learning new
things are the top activities All-in
Enthusiasts enjoy while on vacation.

35. ADVENTURERS
Dining, fun attractions, and sightseeing are
the top activities Active Adventurers enjoy
while on vacation.

36. FAMILIES
Dining, fun attractions, and sightseeing are
the top activities Families enjoy while on
vacation.

37. FUN ATTRACTIONS
Zoos 84%
Theme parks 82%
Aquariums 80%
Water parks 79%
Science centers 71%
Ferris wheel (e.g. London Eye) 61%

38. FUN ATTRACTIONS
Fly Over Canada
FlyOver Canada utilizes state-of-the-art
technology to give you the feeling of flight
on an exhilarating journey across Canada,
from east to west. Special effects, including
wind, mist and scents.
FlyOver Iceland is coming in 2019 to reveal
some of Iceland’s most awe-inspiring and
picturesque landscapes and destinations.

39. CULTURE
Local community events 70%
Going to see plays or musicals 64%
Music festivals 63%
Food & wine festivals 63%
Art festivals 56%
Comedy festivals 53%
Attending the symphony, opera or
ballet
51%
Film festivals 49%
Fashion shows 41%

40. CULTURE
Smorgasburg, Brooklyn
Smorgasburg is the largest weekly open-air
food market in America, attracting
20,000-30,000 people to Brooklyn each
weekend to eat from 100 local vendors.

41. LEARNING NEW THINGS
The Moth
The Moth hosts live storytelling events in
cities around the world, engaging both
locals and visitors. 602 events are planned
for 2018.

42. SHOPPING
Shopping malls 88%
Department stores 87%
Shops featuring locally made
goods
82%
Small boutiques 80%
Art galleries 63%
Luxury brands 56%

43. SHOPPING
Boxpark, London
Boxpark is the world’s first pop-up
mall—fusing the concepts of modern street
food and placing local and global brands side
by side to create a unique shopping and
dining destination. Boxpark stands proudly in
the heart of London’s Shoreditch to deliver a
community of local brands specializing in
fashion, arts, food and drinks.
After Shoreditch and Croydon, Boxpark is
coming to Wembley.

44. NATURE
Tentrr
Tentrr wants to take the hassle out of
camping. Launched in 2016, the app lets
users find and book upscale campsites on
private land. When guests arrive, they find
their hand-sewn canvas tent already set up,
so their vacation starts that much sooner.

45. NIGHTLIFE
Sofar Sounds
Sofar Sounds is reimagining the live event
experience through curated, intimate
performances.
Sofar Sounds is a community of thousands
of artists, hosts, fans, travelers and more,
putting on hundreds of secret, intimate
events per month, across more than 403
cities around the world.

46. OUTDOOR SPORTS
Swimming at a beach or resort pools 83%
Jogging 71%
Watersports 62%
Boating/sailing 62%
Hunting/fishing 60%
Cycling 60%
Tennis 55%
Skiing/snowboarding 55%
Mountain biking 52%
Horseback riding 52%
Scuba diving/snorkeling 51%
Golf 50%
Extreme sports 43%

47. OUTDOOR SPORTS
Epic Pass / Ikon Pass
The Epic Pass and the Ikon Pass offer
unlimited, unrestricted access to resorts
worldwide.

48. HEALTH
Working out 80%
Spa treatments 68%
Yoga 59%
Fitness classes 55%
Meditation 54%
Medical treatments 44%
Spin classes 42%
Weight loss programs 42%

49. HEALTH
Wanderlust Festivals
Wanderlust Festivals are all-out
celebrations of mindful living. In the midst
of some of the most breathtaking natural
settings imaginable, visitors are
surrounded by a dynamic family of
one-of-a-kind instructors, musicians,
speakers, chefs and fellow celebrants.

50. 8. TYPE OF ACCOMMODATION

51. AIRBNB
More than half of Millennial travelers
regularly or occasionally use owner-direct
accommodation services.

52. PREFERENCES
The most preferred accommodation type
among U.S. Millennial travelers is a
full-service hotel/resort, followed by
staying with friends/family, and all
inclusive resorts. Roughly one-third prefer
upscale/luxury hotels/resorts, camping &
house/villa rentals.

53. HOTEL AMENITIES
The most desirable hotel amenities
include: free Internet access, privacy,
swimming pool, walking distance to
shopping/restaurants and proximity to
must-see attractions.
Free Internet/wifi access is clearly the most
desirable hotel amenity.

54. HOTEL AMENITIES
Other desirable hotel amenities include:
all-inclusive packages, followed by hotel
restaurant and access to public
transportation.

55. HOTEL AMENITIES
Less desirable hotel amenities include:
fitness center, kids’ program, concierge
service, valet parking and business center.

57. 9. PATH TO PURCHASE

58. TRAVEL BOOKING METHOD
Online vacation bookings are the most
common booking methods among
Millennial travelers, with two-thirds
booking on travel websites & close to half
booking through specific
hotel/resort/airline websites.

59. USE OF TECHNOLOGY
On a daily basis, U.S. Millennial travelers
are most likely to text message, check
emails & visit websites to research things to
do during their vacation.

60. SOCIAL INFLUENCE
Online content and social media channels
are the most influential travel media
channels when deciding on a vacation
destination.

61. 10. BEAUTIFUL DESTINATIONS

62. JEREMY JAUNCEY

63. MEDIA BRANDS
Instagram
Facebook Youtube
Snapchat
Website

64. ONLINE COMMUNITY
10.7M followers on Instagram
1.3M followers on Facebook
20 million daily users

65. MOBILE IS THE DOMINANT
PLATFORM IN TRAVEL MEDIA

66. VIDEO IS THE FUTURE

67. VISUAL CONTENT TARGETING
& TESTING

68. TARGET AUDIENCES
DIRECTLY INFLUENCE THE
TYPE OF CONTENT SHARED
ON MEDIA CHANNELS

69. UNIQUE CONTENT AND
STORYTELLING ARE KEY

70. INVEST IN VIDEO AND
DIVERSIFY YOUR CONTENT

71. SOCIAL MEDIA INSIGHTS
GUIDE OTHER MEDIA
CHANNELS AND CONTENT

72. BEAUTIFUL DESTINATIONS
Instagram
Facebook Youtube
Snapchat
Website

73. CONCLUSIONS

74. RESONANCE SERVICES
Consumer Segmentation Analysis
Competitive Identity Benchmarking
Brand Strategy
Destination Development Planning
Communications

75. Chris Fair, President
cfair@resonanceco.com
RESONANCECO.COM
Vancouver | New York
THANK YOU
@resonanceco, @crfair
@resonanceco
@resonanceco