“Second life” style travel, tailor-made and built to share. Traditional communication via websites and newsletters is added to real-time messaging with WhatsApp, Instagram and Snapchat
Rimini – These are the generations that embody the radical break with the past that began with the new Millennium: Millennials and Generation Z ended up under the investigative lens of researchers and marketing experts also in the tourism sector. Recently, the research has been made by the European Tourism Future Institute (ETFI), based in the Netherlands, specializing in research aimed at outlining strategies, business models and ideas for the future at the service of institutions, governments and the tourism industry.
A special issue of the Journal of Tourism Future, published by the ETFI, is entirely dedicated to the theme "Millennials, Generation Z and the future of tourism". The curators, Fabio Corbisiero and Elisabetta Ruspini will present a preview of the contents at TTG Travel Experience, the large marketplace dedicated to the tourism industry, taking place in Rimini from October 10th to 12th under the banner of Italian Exhibition Group.
From the studies published in the special issue of the Journal of Tourism Futures, relevant dynamics emerge not only in regards to social networks and digital media usage as vehicles of choice in relation to tourism consumption, but research also defines the emergence of unprecedented trends.
The content is among those developed around Think Future, the program of over 200 future-oriented events scheduled in the eight arenas located inside the pavilions, with 300 speakers IEG has selected to ensure the audience a trip to the future of the tourism industry. A program that is all about change and innovation, as well as the skills necessary to take advantage of it in terms of business.
The appointment dedicated to applications aimed at Millennials and Generation Z is scheduled for Wednesday, October 10th, at 3:00 pm at the Industry Vision Arena (Hall C3) and will focus on the need to anticipate changes starting from everyday signals: the future as a method. Roberto Paura, Co-founder and President of the Italian Institute for the Future, will be among the speakers.
In 2020, UNWTO estimates that tourists under 35 will make around 320 million international trips. What will influence their choices? What kind of travelers will they be?
Among the topics of the study, that on emerging trends in tourism among young generations in Italy, by Salvatore Monaco is the result of an online empirical survey of 200 young people.
An aspect that unites both Millennials and Gen Z is the trend towards collaborative consumption, thanks to the use of online platforms, starting with AirBnB.
In Italy, however, there are still geographical and gender differences: the new digital consumers are mainly young people from the North, mainly men. As emerged in the study, women would seem more reluctant to the possibilities offered by the sharing economy.
Young people are looking for new things, different cultures, are very demanding and tend to organize their holiday on their own. More often than not the search for information happens in real time. For tourism operators, this means turning to messaging channels like WhatsApp, Instagram or Snapchat: these are the communication tools of the future and will gradually replace websites, newsletters and other information channels.
The study also confirms the emergence of a new trend, that of searching for virtual holidays, experiences in the "second life" style, in which the tourist of the future is an avatar of himself. Virtual journeys seem to prevail among young people and IT companies are already moving in this direction, as evidenced by the growing market of helmets and masks for 3D vision, which can be connected with smartphones to offer the opportunities to make virtual trips.
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.
She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
