digital branding hacks for travel agencies to attract millennial travelers

What is the world’s fastest growing travel segment? Millennials! According to Expedia (2013) study, millennials travel more frequently as compared to baby boomers, generation X or generation Z. For travel agents it is necessary to appeal to the GenY fraternity. Know that millennials avoid conventional communication channels – they are digital consumers.

DIGITAL BRANDING HACKS FOR

TRAVEL AGENCIES TO CHARM MILLENNIALS

MILLENNIAL TRAVELERS

Ask travel questions via smartphones

Focused more on delightful experiences

International destinationsare valuable

They believe inwork-life balance

GenY loves reviewingeverything online

They haveadventurous

instincts

They like immersiveculture exploration

WHAT MILLENNIALS WANT FROM TRAVEL AGENCIES?

Convenience

Discount deals

Experienced advisors

Trust-worthiness

Long-term association

Millennials aged 18 to 24 own a smartphone

Americans (13 to 34) are snapchatters

Searches on Google are via mobile devices

Of digital time is spent on cell phones

MUST KNOW FACTS

60%

50%

85%

54%

THE DIGITALSPHERE

DIGITAL BRANDING TECHNIQUESFOR TRAVEL AGENCIES

Website

Social Media

Micro-blogs

Blogs

Forum

Mobile Apps

Virtual Reality

CHALLENGES

Escalating competition

Oodles of data volumesEver-enhancing digital channels

TRAVEL DESTINATIONS

• Save user’s time and avoid infinite scrolling on website• Embrace multi-page sites and limit buttons on mobile version• Make responsive web designs to cater to all GenY travelers• Develop a design style according to your travel business niche • Use millennial-centric keywords to optimize your travel website

WEBSITETRAVEL DESTINATIONS

• Be on Foursquare, Google Review, Pan Travels • Post local travel articles on your blog • Take advantage of user-generated content

LOCALIZE

• Use Facebook Canvas for your travel agency visual story• Share clients’ testimonials and experiences• Write travel micro-posts on LinkedIn and Medium • Start twitter hashtags to promote your brand• Put sneak peek images of hot deals on Instagram• Reveal travel tips and tricks via infographics on Pinterest• Run single-day Snapchat contests for promo codes

SOCIAL MEDIA

DIGITAL BRANDING TECHNIQUESTarget millennial’s demands, and be where they are!

TRAVEL DESTINATIONS

• Build an app to store and share travel information with clients• Promote travel agency brand by customizing app experience

MOBILE APPS

TRAVEL DESTINATIONS

• Take clients on a virtual tour to destinations and hotels• Hand out Google VRiew headset to promote travel agency

VIRTUAL REALITYTRAVEL DESTINATIONS

Check out: Thomas Cook campaign – Try Before You Fly

LAST MINUTE TIPS• Show your brand is as alive as its target market• Recognize the millennial purchasing revolution • Personalize online responses for engagement

SOURCES: http://en.destinationcanada.com/sites/default/files/pdf/Resources/millenial/mtp_backgrounder_businesspartnership_final_en-links.pdfhttps://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/articles/travel-trends-4-mobile-moments-changing-consumer-journey.htmlhttp://blog.virtuoso.com/traveler_trends/5-trends-know-today-millennial-traveler/http://www.travelmarketreport.com/articles/Insights-into-American-Travelers-and-Their-Use-of-Travel-Agents-from-MMGYs-Steve-Cohenhttp://tts.com/blog/millennial-traveller-travel-agent%E2%80%99s-new-favorite-type-clienthttp://www.dcsplus.net/blog/how-can-a-travel-agency-win-millennial-travelershttp://www.inc.com/make-a-name/5-ways-to-dominate-digital-branding-in-2016.htmlhttp://www.globetouch.com/news/always-connected-millennials-travelling-21st-century/