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. D I GI T AL B R A N D IN G H A C K S F O R T R A V E L A G E NC I E S T O C H AR M M I L L E N N I A L S MILLENNIAL TRAVELERS Ask travel questions via smartphones Focused more on delightful experiences International destinations are valuable They believe in work-life balance GenY loves reviewing everything online They have adventurous instincts They like immersive culture 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 DIGITAL SPHERE DIGITAL BRANDING TECHNIQUES FOR TRAVEL AGENCIES Website Social Media Micro-blogs Blogs Forum Mobile Apps Virtual Reality CHALLENGES Escalating competition Oodles of data volumes Ever-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 WEBSITE TRAVEL 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 TECHNIQUES Target 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 REALITY TRAVEL 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.pdf https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/articles/travel-trends-4-mobile-moments-changing-consumer-journey.html http://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-Cohen http://tts.com/blog/millennial-traveller-travel-agent%E2%80%99s-new-favorite-type-client http://www.dcsplus.net/blog/how-can-a-travel-agency-win-millennial-travelers http://www.inc.com/make-a-name/5-ways-to-dominate-digital-branding-in-2016.html http://www.globetouch.com/news/always-connected-millennials-travelling-21st-century/