Generation X travel trends: A look into generational travel behaviors

Updated December 2021 – As young adults seek to explore lesser-known locales and enjoy authentic experiences, generation X travel trends include mostly opting to stay home rather than venture out. This generation, which includes adults born between the late 1970s to early 1980s, are largely settled into their homes and building their families. It seems this stage of life has left them without a desire for extensive travel. As a tour and activity provider, you may have to do a bit of legwork to convince them to book. With that being said, there are ways to entice generation X into unleashing their inner traveler with simple marketing tricks.

In this article, we will go through the top generation x travel trends and generation x travel behaviors. This will help you find out how you can provide activities that meet their expectations. Ultimately, winning their bookings. 

Understanding generation X travel trends

A survey recently published by Skift, details data about the travel habits and trends of Generation X. Here are the top main generation x travel trends:

Time spent on travel

Generation X spends the least amount of time traveling compared to other generations. According to the data, Generation X travelers spend about 26 days away each year. They are most likely to select domestic destinations, and 43% of them used personal vehicles to get to their destination. Considering the fact that many in this generation are currently in the child-rearing stage of life, it’s not surprising that they cannot book extended trips and spontaneous getaways.

Spending habits is an important generation x travel behavior to consider

Generation X is a budget-conscious generation, and travelers often use OTAs to find the deals they want. More than 93% of Generation X travelers say that they look for the best deal prior to finalizing their bookings. About 55% of them use OTAs in order to find out information about the packages and deals that are available to them, so it would be wise for tour and activity companies to partner with as many OTAs as possible. While these budget-savvy travelers like to penny-pinch, they do have a soft spot for tours and activities. Generally, Generation X travelers allocate about 13% of their budget to tours and excursions.

How they use social media

Generation X does use social media for travel ideas and inspiration, but they are likely to be found on different platforms than younger adults. While Generation Z is consumed with SnapChat and Millennials can’t get off of Instagram, Generation X is most likely looking for travel inspiration on Pinterest and Facebook. They feel most comfortable with these user-friendly platforms, and they find them most useful for connecting with their contacts and sharing ideas.

Family-friendly activities

Generation X prefers family-friendly getaways, while Millennials prefer romance and adventure. About 48% of travelers within this generation book a trip to visit family, and 41% are looking for family play while they’re away. Nearly 71% of Generation X travelers report that every vacation they take is family-oriented, which is notably different from the generations that have come both before and after them.

How to effectively attract Generation X

We now know that generation x prioritizes the following points when traveling:

• Uncomplicated travel
• Family-friendly options
• Being able to relax and unwind

With the main key considerations that drive generation x travel trends, you can take these points and incorporate it into your marketing strategies.

Uncomplicated travel

With the busy schedule of juggling a family and working full-time, the last thing that generation x needs is a complicated holiday. Now that the majority of generation x are online, it’s important to be able to accommodate their need for efficiency. As a tour operator, make sure your offers are presented clearly and your booking processes are simple. An online booking software like Rezdy simplifies your online booking processes so you can fulfill generation x’s need for efficiency. With Rezdy, you’ll be able to showcase your real-time availability, allow your customers to make instant updates to their booking, and make safe and secure payments.

On the backend, Rezdy also simplifies your admin tasks by reducing your phone time, automatically updating your manifest, and curating detailed data reports to see what’s working well within your business.

Family-friendly options

Most of the time, generation x will be traveling with a group. This group could include their parents, their children, partners, or friends that also have children. It’s important to keep in mind when marketing to generation x to ensure that you’re able to offer family-friendly options. Tours and activities that cater for groups and children of all ages will attract generation x the most.

It may be harder for certain sectors within the experiences industry like the adventure tourism sector. However, by creating alternative or personalized activities could go a long way for generation x. For example, if you’re a parasailing business, you can showcase that your equipment such as your harnesses range in sizes for children and adults. Or if you’re a water rafting business, you could provide an alternative calmer route with a more family-friendly boat.

The advantage of being able to provide family-friendly options is that you’re able to charge a premium price. In many cases, generation Xers will be willing to pay more for family-friendly activities.

Being able to relax and unwind

Lastly, but most importantly, the main point that drives generation x tourism trends is the ability to relax and unwind. With a hectic life of caring for a family, working a full-time job, and paying off a mortgage, being able to relax and unwind is the main motivation for traveling.

Most people within this generation will be looking for accommodation that provides amenities that allow them to unwind. Services such as daycares, transport services, and restaurant varieties are a few of the amenities that attract generation x. This relates back to the first two points: uncomplicated travel and family-friendly options. Hotels and resorts that provide a wide range of family-friendly services allow for uncomplicated travel. It’s recommended that tour operators form a strategic partnership with local hotels and accommodation to provide customers with easy access to your tours and activities.

Conclusion

Generation X may be traveling less than Millennials and Generation Z, but that doesn’t mean your company should ignore this valuable market. One of the best things you can do is to invest in a tour operator booking software. Not only does it add to the uncomplicated travel aspect, but it also simplifies your admin duties. For instance, Rezdy is an all-in-one tour operator booking software that simplifies your online booking system. Rezdy showcases your real-time availability, automatically updates manifests, and ensures that everyone within your business is up-to-date with any last-minute changes that may occur.

Curious to see if Rezdy is right for you? Start your FREE 21-day trial or speak to our friendly team to request a free demo today.

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