How Generations Make Travel Decisions
When it comes to travel decision-making, how do Baby Boomers, Gen X, and Gen Y compare? The answer is crucial for marketing strategists, according to an article published in the Journal of Travel Research:
Underpinning generational cohort analysis is the notion that the formative experiences of each cohort influence its members’ lifelong beliefs, values, and behavior. However, previous studies have failed to verify this notion. This study is the first to do so, showing that memories of the formative years influence a generational cohort’s present-day travel decision making. Focus groups and an online survey of Australian Baby Boomer, Generation X, and Generation Y consumers provided data for the development and testing of the model presented here. Structural equation modeling
shows the proposed model is robust, substantiating the importance of formative referents influencing salient referents, value perceptions, and attitude and intention to travel. This study provides a theoretical foundation for future research on this topic, highlighting the importance of considering a travel segment’s generational perspective when designing a marketing strategy.
Read the article, “Travel Decision Making: An Empirical Examination of Generational Values, Attitudes, and Intentions,” published by Sarah Gardiner of Griffith University, Ceridwyn King of Temple University, and Debra Grace of Griffith University in JTR’s OnlineFirst section. To sign up for e-alerts from the journal, please click here.
