Millennials are more likely to head out of the country this summer than Generation X or Baby Boomers. However, on average, the millennials that travel domestically this summer are likely to spend more on their trip than travelers belonging to the other two generations.
Those are just a pair of intriguing insights from a recently conducted Shullman Research Center study, which surveyed American consumers with an annual household income greater than $75,000.
The study, which features a color infographic courtesy of Adweek.com, breaks down travel trends by generation, highlighting millennials (ages 18-34), gen Xers (35-50), and boomers (ages 51-69).
Shullman Research Center's data also shows that older generations are more likely to travel for pleasure and within the U.S. compared to younger ones.
Domestically, the study revealed that the top destination for millennials is Hawaii (19 percent), followed by New York (nine percent), and Florida (nine percent). Meanwhile, gen Xers prefer Florida (18 percent) and California (14 percent). Nevada (10 percent) is the top domestic destination for boomers, with sunny Florida (eight percent) coming in a close second.
When it comes to transportation on a domestic trip, gen Xers prefer to drive their own car or take a flight more so than the other generations. However, a higher percentage of boomers prefer the train compared to millennials and gen Xers.
The study also shows that, more so than other generations, gen Xers prefer to stay with family on domestic trips. Nonetheless, all three generations prefer staying with family rather than hotels or rental villas.
Internationally, millennials prefer destinations in Europe (30 percent), the Caribbean (28 percent), Asia (23 percent), and Mexico (17 percent). Europe (32 percent) and the Caribbean (22 percent) are also the top two international destinations for gen Xers, but Canada (21 percent) rounds out the generation's top three.
Nearly two-thirds of boomers (61 percent) consider Europe their top international destination, followed by the Caribbean and Canada.
Unsurprisingly, air travel is the most popular means of transportation on an international trip for all three generations, but millennials are slightly more likely to travel via boat or cruise ship when heading outside of the U.S.
Once at their destination, most boomers (50 percent) prefer a standard hotel, while millennials (38 percent) and gen Xers (34 percent) prefer a four- or five-star hotel to call their temporary home.
While there are undoubtedly a variety of factors that influence a person's travel intentions, it's clear that age impacts desires and priorities.
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