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Concierge services offer best means for travel brands to reach millennials

December 11, 2012 | Hotel Marketing

When it comes to travel, digital plays an outsized role in shaping millennials’ destination choices, their on-the-road activities, and how they share those experiences, according to a new eMarketer report, “Traveling with Generation 'Next': Social Influence Among the Emerging Jet Set.”

To grab the attention of these consumers, marketers must learn how to “fit in” to millennials’ online activities rather than “stand out” among them.

In a Travel Weekly study from June 2012, nearly a third of travelers ages 21 to 34 who read travel review websites said those sites, which are heavy with user-generated content, had “much influence” on their travel plans, compared to only about one in five travelers ages 35 and over.

Social is another area where millennials are looking before and after they book travel. A May 2011 study from Burst Media signaled the weight millennials give to peer recommendations. More than 57% of internet users ages 18 to 34 said they were influenced to purchase travel by their friends’ and followers’ recommendations. As more and more millennials are drawn to share their travel experiences on social media, the sites become even more useful for researchers and bookers.

But the openness to information and opinion does not necessarily extend to brands.

Get the full story at eMarketer

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