How we choose to travel says a lot about ourselves.
During the last two decades, new technologies have changed the world around us and the tourism sector makes no exception.
The technological innovations, mostly linked to the development of the internet, did create a GAP between who use them a lot and who can’t or won’t utilise them so much.
We called Old-school traveler the latter one and Millennial Tourist the first one.
Of course, they are just ideal models, archetypes if you want: so nobody falls completely under one of those characters and they are pretty extreme in their respective characteristic.
As every other archetype, our models must be intended as mere guidelines. Which one will be closer to you?
Let’s see how each one plan (or DOESN’T plan) a trip and find out who you are!
1) Choosing the destination for holiday
First of all, you have to choose your destination. The old-school traveler could avoid the choose at all. You know when in a movie someone makes the globe spin and then stops it randomly to choose the destination? Old school travelers like to do this in real life. Other times, they have long-desired places to see and they would go there no matter what.
A different story for the Millennial Tourists who love to choose the destination in an almost scientific way. Many of them opt to not select the destination upon their desires, but finding the best deal they can get in a certain time period. There are websites like Secret Flying born to offer this kind of service.
Sometimes Old-schoolers buy just a one-way ticket. Millennials Travelers buy a round-trip as soon as they can.
2) How to reach your destination?
Then you have to reach the place. When it is possible, old-school travelers go for the train or even car. In their mind, the trip is an essential part of the experience and you can’t spend it in non-places like airports and airplane. The train, the car, and the cruise maintain their charm in Old-schoolers’ eyes.
Not a single damn given by Millennials Tourists who want to save time and money taking the best flight they can find. They also optimise their comfort with Skyscanner and similar websites.
3) The best way to pack
Old-schoolers and Millenial Tourists have also different ways to pack their belongings. We said that some Old-schoolers do not even buy the ticket back home because, for them, to travel is an adventure. They love backpacking around a new continent and like to pack thinking mid-long term.
Millennials Tourists take measures, quite literally. They buy the smallest and most efficient suitcase on the market, usually a trolley, the one that perfectly fit the measures to be considered hand luggage by flying companies. Their suitcase is always packed with the exact number of clothes they are going to need.
4) Hotel, Hostel or Bed and Breakfast?
You know how hardcore old-school travelers book their accommodation? They don’t. It would surprise you, but if you talk with hotel and hostel receptionist, you will find out how many people ask them a room for the same night, with no booking in advance. Depending on how much they can spend, they go either for hotels or hostels but the process is the same: they are on an adventure, they think about sleep when it’s time to sleep. Some of them sleep in their car, take a camping tent with them and other similar solutions.
The Millennial Tourist use meta-search website like booking.com to identify the best deal from all different kinds of accommodation. They always book in advance, but they can also go for alternative accommodation, using websites and apps like AirBnB and CouchSurfing.
5) Do you plan your tours?
Of course, the Oldschool Traveler, once in town, let their wanderlust do the job. The love to roam around a new place, get inspired by what they see, talk to strangers for advice and live by the day.
The Millennial Tourist has clearer ideas about what to see and to do on their holiday. They want to maximize their experience and love guided tour: guided visit to museum, guided walking tour to historical center, guided cruise on the city river. There are websites like Globol used by everyone who want to plan their visit to a new place, choosing among many different experiences.
So, which one is closer to your way of life?
Are you an Old-schooler who want the adventure or a Millennial who like to go through life the smart way?
Let us know!
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