Representing the largest segment of the workforce today, a new study by Oracle Hospitality shows the big influence millennials are having on the hospitality industry, in particular when it comes to mobile devices.
With 77 percent of millennials visiting a restaurant once a week and anticipated to spend about $3,900 on travel alone, hoteliers and restaurant owners are seeking ways to market and serve this large market of patrons.
The study provides some interesting findings:
- 20 percent had reported checking into a hotel with their mobile devices
- 44 percent had expressed an interest to use their mobile devices at hotels and restaurants
- 87 percent use their smartphones on a daily basis, while 37 percent use their iPads or tablets
Polling participants between the ages of 18-35, the study reflects a bigger trend of how technology is impacting business within hotels and restaurants. The hospitality study also suggests that millennials are very interested in hotels and restaurants adapting loyalty programs. With 52 percent of respondents interested in using their mobile devices for loyalty programs, this is good news for hotels and restaurants looking for ways to promote return business. It also reflects the bigger need by hoteliers and restaurant operators to personalize the experience through mobile platforms such as smartphones and tablets.
While these findings show there is definitely a trend toward more mobile use in hotels and restaurants, there is still a segment of the millennial population that prefers the experience of personal service. There also seems to be a difference geographically, where the preference to use mobile devices in hotels and restaurants actually decreases in some countries such as Japan.
With the global hotel industry revenue expected to reach $550 billion US dollars in 2016, millennials are expected to rise as the new global travelers, replacing the baby boomer generation as the biggest market. Learn how EDK and Company helps hotels and restaurants with driving their marketing efforts.