Today, technology is shaping how hotel rooms are found and booked by travelers. In an increasingly connected and automated world, consumers are searching for the best deals. Unsurprisingly, millennials are most likely to be using technology to book their travel. According to research completed by Hipmunk, one-half of millennials say they’re “travel hackers,” meaning they know all of the best sites and methods to get the best travel deals. Meanwhile just 26% of Gen Xers and 12% of boomers share that sentiment.
A study by Virtuoso states that Gen Xers came of age just as online travel agencies appeared on the scene. Perhaps that’s why they’re much more likely to book a trip online than with a travel advisor. According to MMGY, 82% of Gen X book travel online and 71% research their travel through OTAs. And almost all baby boomers surveyed responded that they used an online resource to help them make decisions and used both direct websites as well as OTAs to book their reservations, according to research completed by AARP. The study by Virtuoso also states that among Boomers, 84% have purchased travel online and 72% have researched travel through OTAs.