Expedia Media Solutions, the advertising arm of Expedia, Inc., has unveiled new generational data looking at the motivations, preferences and travel attitudes of Japanese, Chinese and Australian travelers across Generation Z, Millennials, Generation X and Baby Boomers.
Key findings include:
Trip types, travel logistics
- More than two-thirds of Chinese travelers like to relax and see the sights, 86% travel by plane or train, and hotels are the leading accommodation option.
- Staycations and sightseeing are the top trip types for Japanese travelers, and more than 85% stay in a hotel. Japanese travelers are the most diversified in their transportation options with 37% traveling by plane, 31% traveling by car and 25% traveling by train.
- At least half of Australians take trips to visit family and relax. More than two-thirds travel by plane, and they stay in hotels or with friends and family.
Planning priorities
- Chinese Gen Z and Millennials prioritize feeling pampered during their vacation, while trip activities top the list for Gen X and Baby Boomers.
- For Japanese Gen Z travelers, getting the lowest price is priority number one, but other generations focus on the food experience ahead of price.
- Australians across all generations prioritize trip activities above all else, but deals and lowest price are close behind.
Budget basics
- More than half of all travelers across the three countries said budget was a primary factor when planning a trip, but Japanese Millennials and Australian Baby Boomers are the least budget conscious; more than 40% said budget was not a primary factor.
- For most generations in China and Japan, the largest portion of their travel budget is allocated to hotels. In Australia, flights top the list with 25% of the budget, on average.
- Chinese Millennials are the biggest shoppers, allocating the largest percentage of their travel budget to shopping (18%) – more than any other Asia-Pacific generation.
Destination decisions, booking resources
- Baby Boomers are the most destination decisive generation across all three countries.
- Japanese travelers are the most open to destination inspiration; more than 60% don’t have a destination in mind or are deciding between two or more locales when they decide to take a trip.
- Online travel agencies (OTAs) and search engines are the leading planning and booking resources for most Asia-Pacific travelers.
Advertising influences
- More than two-thirds of all Chinese travelers said ads can be influential in their decision-making process. Nearly 70% of Gen Z and Millennials and over half of older generations said ads with appealing imagery and ads with informative content can be influential.
- Forty-five percent of Japanese travelers said they can be influenced by ads with appealing deals.
- Over half of Australian travelers said they can be influenced by advertising with informative content or appealing deals.
Generational snapshots for China, Japan and Australia can be downloaded here, providing a generational overview and data highlights for each country.