Sao Paulo - New Latin American generational data released today by Expedia Group® Media Solutions, the advertising organization of Expedia Group, reveals that Latin American Gen Z and Millennial travelers prioritize once-in-a-lifetime experiences, while Gen X and Baby Boomers are all about trip activities. All Latin American travelers say deals and value are important, and approximately eight in 10 have a budget in mind when planning a trip. However, activities and unique or cultural experiences outrank lowest price when travelers are making decisions.

The Latin American Multi-Generational Travel and Tourism Trends study, from a survey conducted by Northstar Research Partners, spotlights Latin American travel behaviors, preferences and influences throughout the online travel shopping journey, across four generations: Generation Z, Millennials, Generation X and Baby Boomers.

Across all generations, Latin American travelers are taking more than four trips a year on average, with Millennials taking the most with an average of 5.5 trips. Although Latin American Baby Boomers take fewer trips than other generations, they make up for it in trip duration - nearly 12 days.

Despite taking multiple trips per year, six in 10 Latin American travelers are undecided on a destination when they first decide to take a trip and turn to a variety of sources and content types for inspiration and information.

Eighty-eight percent of Latin American travelers look for deals before making a decision and 82 percent can be influenced by informative content from destinations, while 70 percent can be influenced by advertising. More than 70 percent of all generations, and as many as 79 percent of Gen Z travelers, use their smartphone in-trip. One-third of Gen Z and Millennial Latin American travelers use a smartphone throughout all phases of the travel shopping journey, illustrating the importance of mobile when targeting younger generations. Understanding the varying generational behaviors of Latin American travelers is a critical element of reaching the right traveler, at the right time, with the right message and content.

"When looking at Latin American travelers by generation, we uncovered unique preferences and sources of influence, but there are also quite a few similarities, which is good news for marketers looking to attract multiple generations," said Ana Paradela, Director, Latin America at Expedia Group Media Solutions. "Marketers looking to reach Latin American travelers should consider a multi-platform content strategy and lead with activities and one-of-a-kind experiences, which are key drivers of travel decisions, while incorporating deal and value messaging to help make the decision even easier."

Gen Z are Open-Minded, Outdoor Explorers and Bucket-List Oriented

Latin American Gen Z travelers take 4.4 trips per year on average and nearly 70 percent travel domestically, opting for relaxing trips (58 percent) and visiting family (46 percent). Forty-four percent of Gen Z travelers are interested in destinations where they can explore the outdoors and be active, while also seeking bucket-list or must-do experiences and opportunities to try new things. This open-minded generation is receptive to information and inspiration and can be influenced by advertising with appealing deals (64 percent) or imagery (55 percent), and social media (91 percent). Seventy percent of Gen Z use their smartphone during the travel inspiration phase and 79 percent use their device in-trip - more than any other Latin American generation.

Millennials Embrace YOLO, Are Destination Indecisive and Prefer Relaxing Vacations

Millennials take more trips per year (5.5) than any other Latin American generation, and they are making the most of their vacations, whether on a relaxing trip (62 percent), a family trip with kid-friendly activities (37 percent) or sightseeing (36 percent). More than 40 percent embrace the "you only live once" (YOLO) mentality and look for places where they can explore outdoors and be active. Millennials are the most destination indecisive generation in Latin America - 68 percent are undecided on a destination when they first decide to take a trip, and they are open to inspiration and influence. At least half can be influenced by advertising with appealing deals or imagery, and 89 percent said social media is influential, especially deals, travel pictures and destination content. Millennials use their smartphone for trip inspiration and research, and 36 percent book travel on their mobile device.

Gen X Opt for Relaxing or Family-Oriented Vacations and Prioritize Activities

Latin American Gen X travelers take on average 5.2 trips per year, and relaxing trips are the most popular trip type (58 percent) followed by visiting family (36 percent). Sixty-four percent of Gen X travelers are undecided on a destination when they first decide to take a trip, and although they look for the best deals and value for their money, Gen X travelers prioritize trip activities and unique experiences. Further illustrating the perceived importance of value for Gen X, 62 percent can be influenced by ads with appealing deals. Nearly 50 percent of Gen X travelers use their smartphone when looking for travel inspiration, and 75 use their device in-trip.

Baby Boomers Are Decisive and Confident International Explorers, and Not Tied to Budget

While Latin American Baby Boomers take fewer trips than other generations, they are taking the longest trips (nearly 12 days), are more likely to travel internationally and are less tied to budget than other generations. Air travel is the most popular mode of transportation for Baby Boomers (68 percent), but 25 percent travel to their destination by car - more than any other generation. Relaxing vacations (56 percent), visiting family (42 percent) and sightseeing (39 percent) are the leading trip types, and 46 percent of Baby Boomers already have a destination in mind when they decide to take a trip. Despite being less budget-conscious than other generations, Baby Boomers still love getting a great deal or value for their money. Ads with informative content, appealing deals and helpful reviews are most effective for Baby Boomers, and 64 percent can be influenced by social media.

  • Budget is an important consideration for all generations. Marketing content featuring deals, money saving tips, and value messaging is an efficient way to reach all Latin American travelers.
  • All generations prioritize activities and experiences over lowest price. Lead with unique activities and experiences - rooted in a great deal to make the decision even easier.
  • Inspiration and information come from a variety of sources. Create a multi-platform strategy to reach and influence travelers with relevant content throughout the purchase journey and implement mobile and social to reach younger Latin American travelers.
  • All generations use their smartphone in-trip. More than 70 percent of Latin American travelers use their smartphone in-trip, illustrating an opportunity to target travelers in-destination with relevant deals, promotions, and recommendations - from activities and tours to restaurants and spas.

More Latin America Multi-Generational Marketing Insights

For more findings and insights that marketers can leverage to better reach, engage and convert travelers from Latin America, and to view the full study, please visit the Expedia Group Media Solutions website. Check out our blog and connect with us on Twitter and LinkedIn for more travel trends and insights, and stay tuned for additional research throughout the year.

About Expedia Group Media Solutions

Expedia Group Media Solutions is a global travel advertising platform that connects marketers with hundreds of millions of travelers across Expedia Group's 200+ websites and apps. Our exclusive first-party data on traveler trends, search behavior, and booking data provides travel advertisers and marketers with unique insights to inform their strategies. We offer a full-funnel suite of solutions to help our partners connect with and convert travelers globally. Our digital experts have more than 20 years of travel and media experience to help our partners create advertising campaigns that deliver meaningful results.

Ashley Goncena
Expedia Group Media Solutions