Millennials are reshaping the hospitality industry in more ways than one. Millennials travel better than other generations, are redefining business travel, and even have their own millennials in travel website that doesn’t hesitate to make the claim that millennials are the future of the travel industry. With social media and apps at our fingertips, we are traveling in ways like never before. For instance, according to a Skift survey, only 10% of millennials booked their vacations through a travel agent last year. A strong 84% have never even used a travel agent at all.
How does all this fit into millennials in the hospitality industry? Well, if the forecast that by 2025 millennials will represent over 50% of all travelers holds true, than who better to work in this industry than millennials? It seems like common sense to me. 4 Hoteliers shares the top 10 hospitality trends in 2015. Below are my personal favorites, and the ones that I think will continue into 2016, with more reasons why millennials are the perfect generation to take over the hospitality industry.
Customer Service
As I’ve just said – who is there better to serve millennials than fellow millennials? Millennials are self-sufficient; we like to figure things out for ourselves. We are so use to being able to search online for answers, and the travel industry should be no different. Millennials know what prevalent information should be posted on websites and apps, and what information is no longer necessary (I mean seriously, I don’t care about your fax number). If speaking to a human is necessary, millennials want real and genuine help from people that understand them and their issues.
Technology
Have you ever seen a millennial without some sort of technology within six inches of them? The answer is probably not. We grew up with technology, we understand it, and we can’t imagine life without it. Technology has helped us reshape the hospitality industry by showing us how seamless travel can be – from having your boarding pass on your phone, to asking Siri what excursions are nearby, to reading Yelp reviews to see which restaurants should be checked out. Some hotels such as Starwood and Hilton even allow guests to check in via mobile phone, and I’m sure that other hotel chains will follow suit in the near future (hint, hint millennials – pitch this idea to them and help them figure out how to make it work). No more long lines, no more ringing a bell for a clerk – whoever thought of this idea had millennials in mind.
Real Time Marketing
Can it really be an article about millennials reshaping an entire industry without the mention of social media? When millennials travel, they are an extension of the hotel/airline/resort’s marketing team. From pictures on Instagram to status updates on Facebook, millennials are providing companies with real time marketing while they’re traveling by showing off what they’re doing. Why is this real time marketing so important, and why will it continue to be so vital? Robert Rauch argues, “real time marketing must take place on a regular basis and incorporate guest-generated content, especially via social media.” Take notes hospitality industry, this sounds like a perfect job for a millennial.
Reputation Management
As the generation that grew up with the burn book, we understand the power of reputation. No more is the time when hotels’ reputations were based on word of mouth or even Trip Adviser reviews. Presently, you can find reviews for hotels anywhere and everywhere from social media to personal blogs to Yahoo. Being online 24/7 allows guests to not only search reviews, but post reviews as well. Staying on top of your online presence is important, and a job for someone that is already on social media 24/7.
The hospitality industry is changing, and it’s all thanks to millennials. We experience life in different ways than past generations. We no longer use travel agents, we no longer check-in in person, and we no longer want to speak on the phone with customer service. Things have changed in the past several years, and are projected to continue changing. These above trends will stay true in 2016, and potentially become even more prevalent. What better way to keep up with these trends, and take them to the next level, than by having millennials who understand them, and expect them, working for you?
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