Agents keen to tap into the millennial market might do well to watch more TV ? a survey of 2,000 millennials by Virgin Holidays found that 10% of the young respondents booked a holiday to South Africa, after being inspired by the sun-soaked antics of the attractive contestants on Love Island, the popular ITV2 reality show.
Another programme which is driving up bookings among the younger demographic is Keeping Up With The Kardashians, with 14% of survey respondents being inspired by the show to book a trip to Los Angeles.
Meanwhile, I?m A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here moved 15% of respondents to visit Australia?s Gold Coast.
As well as inspiring long-haul bookings, a bit closer to home, The Only Way Is Essex influenced 9% to jet off to Marbella.
And it?s not just TV programmes that are leading to travel bookings. Movies play a role too. The survey revealed that 18% plan to book a trip to Croatia because of Game of Thrones, while almost a quarter (22%) said that watching musical romcom Mama Mia made them plan a trip to Greece.
Social media desirability is another powerful factor in determining where millennials will book their holidays. White sandy beaches (40%), crystal clear waters (33%), an infinity pool (24%) and glamorous bars (18%) were all holiday must-haves for millennials wanting to show off on Instagram.
Bucking the trend for intergeneration holidays, 35% of respondents were not interested in taking the same type of holidays as their parents. In contrast to their long must-have lists, four in 10 of the 2,000 23-to-38-year-olds polled said all their parents wanted was a good deal on the price of their holiday, and 22% said their parents just needed to have guaranteed sunshine for the holiday of their dreams.
