Understanding the Travel Behavior of Generation Y

Abstract: ABSTRACT This paper studies the travel patterns and motivations of Generation Y members living in Sweden and in Finland. The research is made from Generation Y members’ point of view. Earlier studies have discussed Generation Y’s travel behavior, but no research was found studying the differences between the age groups inside the Generation Y. As the Generation Y is a big generation group, it is important to notice the possible differences within this group. This research aims to find out the possible differences between the young and the older members of the generation. The purpose of the study is to contribute to the understanding of Generation Y’s travel behavior, which is important to understand for tourism planning, as the younger part of the generation will enter the tourism markets in the near future. The research is a quantitative study, testing a hypothesis that there are differences in the travel behavior between the younger and the older members of Generation Y. An electronic survey was sent to various persons, using social media as a tool for reaching the target group for data collection. The survey was done using a SoGo online survey tool. Collected data was moved into an SPSS for analyzing. The results indicated that there was no significant differences found between the two age groups. However the results show the Generation Y respondents’ motivation, values, expectations, experiences and attitudes towards travelling. The results will help in understanding Generation Y’s travel behavior, and help examine and define the potential differences in this generation group. For future work, the findings of this research could be compared with qualitative research, made by interviewing tourism professionals and Generation Y members.