Every destination we step in from the chilly breathtaking
glaciers along the hiking paths of El Chaltén to bustling charming metropolises
like Seoul and Buenos Aires – millennials are constantly on the move. Travel
brands must develop strategies to attract this new tech savvy traveler as they
grow in number and affluence. With millennials expected to outspend baby
boomers by 2030, the below strategies will help travel brands engage this
valuable consumer.
1. Go Mobile
1. Go Mobile
The millennial traveler is all about booking on the go – whether
in the subway to the next important meeting or on the impromptu night out
brainstorming vacations with friends. Mobile travel gross merchandise sales are slated to reach $26 billion this year, an amount more than double
that spent in 2013. In fact, by 2017, mobile travel sales will account for one
third of all digital travel sales – reaching $55 billion.
Customer engagement via mobile is no longer a bonus companies
can provide, it is a necessity they must offer if they want continued millennial
loyalty and further bookings and perks purchased through them.
2. Use Targeted Marketing
With the data of all search queries available to travel
companies, information on traveler trends per age and type of traveler is
readily available. Getting ahead of the traveler’s mind and determining the millennial
traveler’s needs and destination desires becomes easier. Travel brands looking
to plant the idea into the traveler can now create custom incentives, messages
and offers to give the millennial booker what they crave.
3. Personalize the Communication
Alongside custom messages and deals matching each traveler’s style
of vacation exploration, millennials are expecting more and more personalized
recommendations to be sent directly to them while already on the trip. If there’s
a show happening that aligns to that person’s interests in Berlin, they want
the travel brand to remind them of this experience with a ticket link. Travel
brands are then rewarded for their forward-thinking as millennials tend to share
and boast about their travel experiences across highly connected social
networks that reach potential new Gen Y travelers for the brand.
4. Convenience is Priority
The constantly moving millennial expects that life keeps up with
them wherever they may find themselves. Any spontaneous idea must be able to be
satisfied for the millennial to commit to a travel brand. Instant service,
quick feedback, and around the clock problem resolution are all noted and
shared with friends when discussing a vacation’s flow.
Engaging the Millennial Traveler
The emergence of new technology has made it possible for brands
to understand their customer and tailor strategies to retain the millennial traveler
as a customer for years to come.
One company leading in this space is inGuest by Revinate. inGuest gives hotels a
platform to better engage with guests across their preferred channels, whether
it’s Web, mobile, or in-person. By collecting preferences and data while
guests are talking with hotel staff regardless of channel, inGuest can
integrate this information with existing hotel systems to enhance guest
profiles. Having access to these guest profiles allows hotels to personalize
all aspects of service as well as future targeted messages to prompt a new
booking. Thus, travelers are engaged across all parts of their journey.
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