How Millennials Like to Travel

Millennial travelers know what they want when it comes to travel, and they aren’t afraid to scour the web for the best options, itineraries and deals to get where they want to go.

Keen to explore new countries and experiences with their extended families, including young children and older parents, these mature travelers (ages 28 to 43) with financial security don’t flock to trendy destinations because an influencer told them to. Rather, their curiosity, convenience and personal interest guide them to curate meaningful travel on a mission. And most likely, those destinations are abroad.

AAA travel advisor David Murcko, a world-traveler since childhood, says travel is very personal, so it just depends on the client, what they happen to need in the moment and their travel companions.

These are his top insights for millennial travelers who want to get away this year or – better yet – plan for next year.

Unique Destinations

The easier a destination is to access – including one or two flight layovers – the more likely millennials are to go there, Murcko said, unless “they have been saving up for a special occasion, like a graduation. Then, they say, ‘let’s go to Europe.’” Recently, Murko has found Italy, Croatia and Ireland to be some of the most popular getaways. While he highly recommends Romania and Hungary, destinations in Southeast Asia are also on the top of his list, including Vietnam and Thailand.

The Caribbean is also a hot spot for this age group seeking a carefree beach escape, while he has recently booked trips to far-flung destinations like a couple’s getaway in Japan, a honeymoon in Bora Bora and family-friendly school vacations to Walt Disney World.

“Travelers from the U.S. want to explore the country [they are visiting],” Murcko said. “I just recently helped someone who is following Taylor Swift, and they were looking at ideas, itineraries and stuff to do around Dublin.”

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Tech Savvy

Millennial travelers are independent, knowledgeable with technology, and start their research as much as six months in advance, according to the analytics firm Morning Consult. So, by the time they find travel advisors like Murcko, they have their plan in place and need help tweaking and confirming final arrangements.

“I’ve had people come in with an idea, they had done research on their own, but they had too much, and they just wanted to brainstorm,” Murcko said. “It’s like they needed that assurance of, ‘Does this sound good? Have you been here?’ that sort of thing.”

Be FIT or Go Guided

Foreign Independent Travel (FIT) is the traveler’s version of DIY, where the traveler books everything themself. They select the flight, hotel, car rental, insurance and build their own package a la carte, Murcko said.

With a guided trip, however, there’s a set itinerary where the transportation and hotels are all built in and booked by an agency.

“I think what people in this age range don’t like about guided travel is the misconception that there’s no free time, which is definitely not the case. They always schedule free time for guided trips,” Murcko said. He took a guided tour in Turkey earlier this year and would recommend it whole-heartedly.

“You usually have a few hours to yourself, and you do what you want,” he adds. “Go get lost, do whatever.”

Taking Their Time

Whereas younger Gen Z travelers hop on a plane for a long-weekend trip to appease their wanderlust and maintain their modest finances, Millennials do not travel in short bursts of time. And while they are budget conscious, they are willing to spend on the ideal vacation that hits all their points. They arrive in a single country, stay for a week or two and settle in. They will try to learn about the customs and culture, and if they already speak some of the foreign language, they will try to improve their fluency while abroad.

“Millennials are not traveling to different areas, but they just stay in one place and explore, get to know some of the off-the-beaten-path stuff. They don’t hit the tourist traps. They want to see more of the culture, the history and not necessarily where everyone else goes,” Murcko said. “I always tell people, ‘When you go to a place, try to learn the culture, try to learn the customs, try to speak the language if you can.’”

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