Younger Canadian travelers focus on crossing off destinations on their bucket list and embrace the You Only Live Once attitude. But baby boomers in Canada enjoy worry-free, all-inclusive resorts and cruise trips. They also travel for longer periods of time.
So says a study by Expedia Media Solutions, the advertising arm of the Expedia group.
The study looked at Canadian Gen Z and millenials and compared their travel attitudes and spending habits with older members of the boomer generation.
Expedia Media Solutions found that millenials take the most trips per year; 3.1. Next were Gen X’ers at 2.8, Boomers at 2.7 and Gen Z members at 2.6.
The south shore of Barbados is a great place for travellers of all ages. JIM BYERS PHOTO
Generation Z is considered to be those from 18-23. Millenials are from ages 24 to 35, while Gen X’ers are from 36-55. Boomers are defined as those 55 and up.
Asked if they like to travel in Canada or abroad, 65% of millenials said they prefer to travel outside the country. For Boomers it was 62%, while for Gen X’ers the figure was 59%. Fifty five per cent of Gen Z members surveyed said they prefer to travel outside of Canada.
Canadians in all age groups had similar responses when asked if they travel to visit family, with responses in the 49% to 52% range. Asked if they travel to relax, 49% of Boomers said yes. But only 44% of Gen X’ers said that’s their motivation for travel. For Gen Z it was 47% and for millenials it was 48%.
Bangkok is another popular travel spot with Canadians.
Asked if their budget is a primary factor in travel, 82% of Gen Z members said yes, compared to 74% for Millenials, 69% for Gen X’ers and 67% for Boomers.
Other notable findings include:
Nineteen per cent of Boomers said they prefer a resort stay on holidays. Other generations were down around the 12-14% mark. One oddity to me is that 35% of Gen X’ers said they prefer to drive for their vacations. For Millenials it was just 22%, while for Gen Z members it was 29%. For Boomers the figure was 27%.
