Consumption and Trust in Online/Offline Travel Info Varies by Age Survey Says

Younger members of society consume media differently than their older counterparts. Message credibility also varies by medium across each of the major generational clusters. This is particularly true when it comes to the use of online information sources.

When considering vacation destinations, input from family and friends still holds the most weight among all consumer groups, regardless of age. Approximately four out of five American travelers have the highest degree of confidence in personal recommendations.

Millennials (18 to 32 years of age), however, are more likely than their older counterparts to have confidence in the information they obtain from online sources such as blogs (54 percent), destination websites (53 percent) or things they have seen on YouTube or other online video sharing communities (35 percent).

Interestingly, Xers (33 to 46 years of age) are more likely than Millennials or Boomers (47 to 65 years of age) to trust information on the website of an online travel agency (63 percent) such as Expedia or Travelocity. They are also more likely than Boomers and/or Matures (66 years of age and older) to have confidence in destination and lodging reviews on a blog (46 percent); information found on a company's or destination's website (53 percent); information in travel brochures (47 percent); articles in newspapers, magazines, programs on TV and radio (48 percent); or things they have seen on YouTube or other online video sharing community sites (29 percent).

Boomers are more likely than Matures to have confidence in reviews on blogs (32 percent) or information found in travel advertising (26 percent). They are less likely than their younger counterparts to have confidence in reviews on online advisory sites such as TripAdvisor (51 percent), however, or things they have read or seen on a social media sites such as Facebook or Twitter (18 percent).

Not surprisingly, Matures are less likely than their younger counterparts to have confidence in online sources such as reviews or information appearing on an online travel agency website (43 percent) or online advisory site (35 percent). They are also less likely to have confidence in information found in travel brochures (34 percent) or travel advertising (19 percent). Compared to leisure travelers in the other generational cohorts, Matures are more likely to have confidence in the recommendations of a travel agent (51 percent).

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