Confidence in information sources varies with age

Although all consumers still invest the highest degree of confidence in the recommendations of family and friends when considering vacation destinations, millennial travelers (18-32 years of age) are more likely than their older counterparts to have confidence in the information they obtain from online sources, such as blogs, websites or things they have seen on YouTube or other online video-sharing communities, according to Ypartnership’s “2011 Portrait of American Travelers.”

Interestingly, Generation X (33-46 years of age) is more likely than millennial travelers or baby boomers (47-65 years of age) to trust information on the website of an online travel agency. They are also more likely than baby boomers and/or matures (66+ years of age) to have confidence in destination and lodging reviews on a blog, information found on a company’s or destination’s website, information in travel brochures, articles in newspapers, magazines, programs on TV and radio, or things they have seen on YouTube or other online video-sharing community sites.

Baby boomers are more likely than matures to have confidence in reviews on blogs or information found in travel advertising, while they are less likely than their younger counterparts to have confidence in reviews on online advisory sites, such as TripAdvisor, or things they have read or seen on social media sites, such as Facebook or Twitter.

Not surprisingly, matures are less likely than their younger counterparts to have confidence in online sources such as reviews or information on an online travel agency website or advisory site. They also are less likely to have confidence in information found in travel brochures or travel advertising. Compared to leisure travelers in the other generational cohorts, matures are more likely to be confident about the recommendations of a travel agent.

It’s now common knowledge that the younger members of our society consume media much differently than their older counterparts. Less well known, however, is the insight disclosed in this research that message credibility also varies by medium for each of the major generational clusters. This should be kept in mind as you craft the content of marketing communications intended to reach prospects in each generational group.

For more information about the “2011 Portrait of American Travelers,” visit the Publications section of www.ypartnership.com.