SITE
Active experiences , not passive visitation
SHIFTING GENERATIONAL PREFERENCES CALL FOR NEW APPROACHES TO INCENTIVE TRAVEL , SAYS PÁDRAIC GILLIGAN , SITE CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER
R ecent research from McKinsey , ‘ The way we travel now ’, is crammed with actionable insights for organisers of incentive travel programmes . I pulled out three takeaways for organisers of incentive travel programmes :
Overarching takeaway : The Widening Generational gap One overarching takeaway from the McKinsey research is the widening gap between the generations , with boomers and millennials at opposite ends of the travel preference spectrum . Given the changes in workplace demographics , this research could be taken as a handbook on programme design for the next generations of incentive travel qualifiers .
So , what ’ s in the report ?
1 . Make it international – NextGen wants to travel far
Incentive travel rebounded spectacularly post-Covid but the rebound involved a double down on national and regional travel and an avoidance of long haul travel . The McKinsey report , however , highlights how younger travellers are particularly excited about international travel , planning a nearly equal number of international and domestic trips in 2024 , no matter their country of origin , whereas boomers are planning to take roughly twice as many domestic trips . Gen Y and Z have seen more places by the time they join the workforce than previous generations and are unlikely to be massively motivated by a domestic travel reward as they ’ ve ‘ Done that , seen that ’. They want to visit Bhutan or Zanzibar . But , more , they want experiences , not superficial visitation .
2 . Make it authentic – NextGen wants experiences Young travellers will try to save money
According to McKinsey , “ Today ’ s travellers tend to view the planning process as a treasure hunt ” on transport , shopping , even food but they won ’ t economise on ‘ experiences ’. Their travel is defined by meaningful connections with the places they visit . Such an experience might involve an edgy boutique hotel , taking a cookery class , or attending a local festival . Experiences involve engagement and opportunities for learning and personal growth , forging indelible memories .
3 . Make it personal – NextGen wants to craft its own trips Travellers today are delighting in crafting their own trips – and this phenomenon is shared across the entire age spectrum . Among the 5,000 individuals who responded to the survey , less than 1 in 5 of had any use for a travel advisor . The reason ? Control . The second-most-cited reason ? They simply enjoy the planning process . According to McKinsey : Today ’ s travellers pride themselves at finding treasure all along the way in terms of the coffee shops and restaurants they book , the experiences they take , the cool places they find to stay in . And when it comes to sources of inspiration for trips , the ‘ personal ’ plays out strongest with word of mouth from family / friends twice as important as , say , a destination ’ s website . Implications for planners The first two takeaways are easily implemented in planning . Clearly , when dealing with younger demographics , be sure to build the programme inclusions with the local knowledge and insight of a professional DMC .
The third takeaway is more challenging . At present our approach to incentive travel is to make programme execution seamless and frictionless . But is that truly motivating for NextGen qualifiers ? Do they want sand , sea and sunshine , or , as the research seems to indicate , the destination to impact on them deeply leaving its mark emotionally ? They don ’ t want passive visitation , they want active experiences .
12 / CONFERENCE & MEETINGS WORLD / ISSUE 132