Online travel agents (OTAs) are the most popular option among the younger generation of both youth and students for booking flights and accommodation.
Based on a survey by WYSE Travel Confederation done during 2017, more than 57,000 travellers aged under 30 booked around 40% of their flights and 47% of accommodation through OTAs.
Another report by New Horizons IV states more than 80% of bookings were made online by under 30s in 2017, with an increasing number of bookings being made on mobile devices and through social media channels.
There were different booking patterns between Generation Y, also known as millennials, (born between 1977 and 1994) and Generation Z (born from 1995 onwards) as per the report.
While both generations are just as likely to make online bookings, the younger age group uses OTAs and third-party websites less often than Generation Y.
Almost 75% of Generation Z used smartphone to make at least one booking last year – this was up from a figure of 52% in 2012.
According to the report Generation Z hardly use tourist information offices, travel agents, tour operator brochures and websites than their older counterparts.
The young generation market accounted for an estimated 23% of all global international arrivals in 2017 – adding up to 304 million trips worth more than US$280 billion.
Author: Sathish Kumar .S
Sathish works as Project Manager in Teknokraaft and heads our OTA team