How to Attract Millennial Travel Clients to Your Travel Agency

Millennials. 

The annoying, phone-obsessed, and constantly spoiled generation. But, a generation with increasing interest in using a travel agent.

According to a survey by MMGY Global, millennial family travel is becoming popular, with a huge chunk turning to you, travel professionals, for vacation planning.

This coddled generation is looking for more and more off-the-beaten-path adventures and culturally immersive vacations. They want a unique experience.

So, how do you attract these picky millennial travel clients?

Millennials don’t use travel agents

You’ve heard that before, right?

Yet, statistics show this is a myth. In the last several years, 92.4% of those who used a travel agent said it enhanced their travel experience.

Nearly 60% are willing to pay extra for a travel agent’s expertise. Wow. 

Millennial families are busier than ever. By handing over their traveling planning to you, they can focus on immersing themselves and their loved ones in a worry-free vacation.

You NEED to be an online travel agency

The need for an online presence is increasing in this tech-savvy millennial-age. You need an online travel agency.

Online directories or having a little blurb on Google doesn’t cut it anymore. 

There’s nothing more frustrating than hitting a brick wall when you’re trying to find information. If your travel agency doesn’t have a website, information-seeking millennials will pass by your brick wall.

Millennials crave information. Pictures, colorful words (no, I don’t mean the “bad” kind), unusual experiences, and attention-grabbing content. This is what speaks to our current high-energy generation.

Most millennials prefer emailing, messaging, and texting. Phone calls are scary, unchartered territory. “You mean I have to talk to you?” Horrors. So, make sure you have an online contact form. 

Get serious about writing to your target audience. Focus on who you’re talking to. Catering to their needs brings you those millennials who truly value your expertise.

Take Away:

You NEED a website. An informational, millennial-friendly website with online contact options. No phone calls!

What do millennials expect from your website?

Everyone loves to feel connected. This is why it’s vital to make your website visually appealing while providing helpful information.

Your website needs to look nice and read well for our fast-paced, distracted generation. Did you know that, on average, your site has less than 12 seconds to grab a potential client’s attention?

Keep your website visuals relevant and stunning – your words easy to understand, but filled with useful information. Tech-savvy millennials look for relatable content on your site, blog, and social media platforms. 

Our current generation spends upwards of 25 hours a week online. That’s an insane amount of time and one of the biggest reasons for making your website appealing to them.

Track millennial travel behavior to know what’s trending. Google is your best friend for finding millennial travel statistics. For example, sustainable travel, called eco-tourism, is one of today’s current travel trends among millennials.

Take Away:

Be real. Stay relevant in all your content. Give millennials what they’re looking for.

Optimize website speed for the millennial travel agency

Trying to captivate a millennial’s attention through your words is hard, but if your travel agency’s website loading speed isn’t fast, you’ll lose them entirely.

Like I mentioned already, you only have several seconds to grab their attention. To ensure optimal loading time, do a site audit to determine how fast your website is loading. 

Another thing that drives millennials crazy – too much information. Don’t fill your navigation bar with tons of tabs. Keep it simple with the bare necessities.

It helps to put yourself in your client’s shoes. Look at your website through an outsider’s eyes. Make their experience easy and user-friendly.

Take Away:

Speed, speed, speed! Make sure you optimize your website speed for a stress-free and easy navigation experience.

Millennials look for experienced travel agents

Show, don’t tell.

Millennials look for been-there-done-that expertise. Prove your experience through insider information about topics like “travel tips for international vacations.” Show them why you’re the best booking option by giving them what they want to hear.

Customer service in big brands isn’t what it used to be in the good old days. This is frustrating for everybody, but especially so for millennials. They place high value on personalized and high-quality service.

They’re the most open-minded generation to date. They long for culturally immersive, authentic, and meaningful experiences. Your content needs to reflect this.

Show them destination experiences to appeal to the thrill-seeker, foodie, or the quiet history buff. Talk about white water rafting through Royal Gorge, sampling Pad Thai street-side in Thailand, or a peaceful perusal of the Book of Kells museum.

Take Away:

Millennials place a high value on your customer service. They expect to be catered to. Appeal to their natures – are they adventurous or quiet museum-goers?

Travel advisor verses travel agent

I know, “Travel Agent” sounds outdated. 

A lot of travel professionals are moving away from this term. They’re choosing labels like travel advisor, travel concierge, or travel consultant.

But is this wise? A lot of people nowadays still think of you as a “travel agent” – even millennials. Most have never heard of a “travel planner.”

Travel agents are well known and trusted. So, naturally, those are the keywords travelers use in their searches. If you aren’t incorporating “travel agent” into your website, you won’t be found as easily on Google.

Like a criminal behavior analyst profiles a criminal, always profile your client. Think like they do. And remember, your website is about them, not you.

Take Away:

Use terms your clients are familiar with, like “travel agent.” Think like they would think.

Niche your travel agency

Niching your travel agency may seem limiting, but it’s the best route you could choose to go.

Generic travel agencies are hard for Google and your client to pinpoint. Nobody has experience in every corner of the globe. Planning your client’s vacation in an area you aren’t familiar with won’t give them the same experience as your special niched location.

Be clear on the destinations you specialize in. If your specialty is tropical honeymoons, list out the areas specific to your niche. This makes you easy to find on Google and gives your client a clear idea of what you do.

Take Away:

Don’t be afraid to niche down your travel agency. It’s incredibly important in attracting your ideal client.

Conclusion

By now, you’re probably thinking about how utterly spoiled and selfish millennials are. And you’re right. We are a pretty self-centered lot (oops, guilty as charged), but this crazy age group is your biggest client.

This is your wake-up call. If you want to attract more clients – especially the tech-savvy, nerdy, and culturally curious millennials, it’s time to update your web presence to the 21st century.

I say all of this with love. There are people out there who’re searching for the expertise you offer.

You are needed and wanted in the travel realm.