St. Louis-based design firm PGAV Destinations examines the public’s views in Generationally Speaking: How Cultural Shifts Impact Your Destination, its latest industry report.
This comprehensive study is conducted in partnership with H2R Market Research. It surveyed 602 people across America. The aim was to better understand the evolving travel attitudes, preferences, motivators, and behaviors of Generation Z, Trailing Millennials, Leading Millennials, Generation X, and Baby Boomers.
Mike Konzen is Chair and Principal of PGAV Destinations. He said, “There is certainly a significant amount of published research on the generation groupings that define our time. Generations are always changing. We need to help our clients by understanding exactly what these shifts mean to them.”
Generationally Speaking explores the generations’ varying stances on a variety of key issues that affect tourism. These include social causes, volunteerism and charity support. There is also an exploration of self-awareness and cross-generational identity.
The report also explores current trends in the “sharing economy”. It looks at how different cohorts perceive and leverage streaming media services. Typical examples are Netflix, home-sharing services like AirBnB, and ride-sharing services such as Lyft. Younger generations are far more apt to utilize these services. They cite a desire to “only pay for what they want” in today’s urban environment, which continues to offer an increasing number of options.
Generationally speaking
“We first explored travel motivations four years ago. Then, respondents prioritized reconnecting with friends and family, pleasing the people they cared about, and having fun together as their primary motivators,” says Jerry Henry, CEO and President of H2R Market Research. “However, we see that younger generations now express a top desire to have fun and experience cultures that open their minds.”
The Travel Planning and Motivations chapters continue to explore how different generations plan their trips. It also highlights what sites they use, and whom they trust for recommendations.
The report includes an in-depth look at differing priorities at the attractions and destinations these generations hold dear. In addition, it looks at the most popular attraction types among them. ”It’s essential that we not only understand how today’s evolving generations view themselves, but also the rapidly changing world around them,” says Konzen.
Generationally Speaking can be read in full here. Interested readers can also subscribe for hard copies of Destinology. They can also find other informative PGAV Destinations’ national research studies here.
For additional generational studies, explore Voice of the Visitor: 2017 Outlook on the Attractions Industry, Generation Z: A New Generation’s View on Zoos and Aquariums, and Meet the Millennials.