Gen X Travel Trends

When it comes to Generation x, the primary concern for us, as hospitality professionals, are the travel characteristics of Generation X. Where are they going, when are they going there, are they going to come to my hotel? Well, they are going everywhere, they are going there now, and yes, they are coming to your hotel. Industry statistics say that in 2005 lodging demand grew 7% among Generation X and only 6% among the Baby Boomers. The Baby Boomers have long been the most dominant customer for hotels, but that trend is clearly changing. Gen X has a larger growth in lodging demand while the Baby Boomers are slowing down.

Even though Generation X is around 61 million people and Baby Boomers represent about 81 million, Gen X is using almost the same number of hotel rooms. More Xers are staying in hotels than Boomers, proportionately. And, Gen X tends to spend more money per trip. They are consumers of entertainment, so they plan to do more enjoyable things while traveling. It doesn’t matter if they travel for business or for leisure; they will most likely find some time for a little fun. In fact, Xers are very fond of leisure travel. In the last ten years leisure travel tripled among Generation X. The fact that Gen X is striving to find a balance in life between work and play may be a large contributor to their decision for more leisure trips.