The travel industry is going through an exciting transformation and recovery as millennials and Gen Zer’s become the majority of travelers. 

According to data by Deloitte and travel perk, Millennials currently make up 41% of travelers, with Gen Z accounting for another 19%. 

And this trend is only accelerating. In 2022, millennials made up 49% of travelers, while Gen Z account for 26%.

This for different reasons, such as:  

• Young adults are becoming more attracted to knowing different countries and cultures.  
• The rise of digital nomads’ trough remote working option is here and continues to grow.  

With such a large segment of their target market shifting attitudes toward new experiences rather than materialistic vacations, many travel brands are struggling to keep up. 

 Are you ready to meet the needs of young travelers? If you’re not quite there yet, don’t worry–we have you covered with three quick tips you can consider on how to improve your customer experience as a travel brand and keep young travelers coming back again and again. 

Always-on digital accessibility 

As a travel brand, one of the most important aspects of excellent CX is making sure that all your digital channels are accessible to all customers. 

If a traveler encounters a website or app that isn’t accessible with a screen reader, or if a particular flight booking system isn’t compatible with screen readers or screen magnification software, it can make the entire process much more difficult and stressful. 

In other words, young people like fast, responsive and user-friendly channels to look for the perfect gateaway.  

Luckily, there are many ways to make your digital channels more accessible. You can start by making sure all your page or apps have real images of the destination/place, optimized and verified information to give more clarity and relevant info to consider.  

You can also look into making your phone booking and assistance systems accessible with features like speech recognition software and text-to-voice functionality. 

Digital attention through email, live chat or call is a must to follow up any request the customer might require.  

 
Clear and transparent communication 

Another important aspect of CX is how you communicate with your customers, both before and after their trip. If a traveler feels confused about their trip, their options, or how to book their desired experience, they may end up booking with a different company.  

If a traveler feels like the company is hiding information from them, or if they feel like the company doesn’t care about helping them, they’re less likely to book with you again in the future.  

Personally, I always check on policies and hidden fee information, that way I don’t get any surprises at the reception! Show every fee!  

There are many ways to improve the transparency of your communication with customers.  

You can start with good general FAQs, or even a blog where travelers can ask questions and get answers.  

You can also make sure that your customer service team is trained to communicate clearly and in a non-judgmental way with all customers, without being condescending or overly helpful. 

Everyone deserves to enjoy a nice trip, so making them feel the right way will give an extra sense of comfort & security.  

 
Flexibility 

Millennials and Gen Zer’s are a very independent bunch, and they value flexibility in their traveling experiences. If you offer a variety of flexible options for your customers, it can help make their traveling experience easier and more enjoyable.  

Another survey by Deloitte explains how our generation are living paycheck by paycheck, due to different economic elements. Still, we can enjoy a good trip.  

This might include things like free cancellation policies, free seat changes, free checked bag policies, or even things like in-flight meal options.  

If you offer too many of these things, though, you may alienate other travelers who don’t want or need all those options. So, your data will be a great ally.  

You can improve your flexibility by making sure the options you offer are clear and easy to understand. 

 For example, instead of offering a free checked bag option, you can offer a free second bag. This way, you’re still offering a good benefit, but it’s not as strong as the first option.  

Also, hotels can offer special discounts on the days or months they know the market presents low assistance.  

You can also make sure you have a good reason for offering each of these benefits. 

 Communicate through your digital channels these benefits to have more response.  

Final thoughts: 

Overall, the travel industry is changing, and travel brands need to change with it. Whether you’re targeting Millennials or Gen Z, or you simply want to improve your CX for everyone, these tips can help you create a better experience for your customers. 

Whether you use these tips to improve your current practices or to start fresh, you’ll be sure to see an improvement in your CX. 

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