The findings of the American Travel Survey also clearly demonstrate that there are similarities as well as important differences in the use of the Internet among generations of American consumers, specifically the Silent Generation, Baby Boomers, Gen X, and Gen Y,which reflect the technological trends as well as behavioral characteristics pertaining to these generational groups. Generally speaking, the Internet has become the most significant travel planning tool across all generations, and generational gaps in the adoption of the Internet adoption have become blurred. That is, the Internet has penetrated into the traveler population regardless the age group. What is more interesting, however, is that younger
generations, particularly Gen Y, are much more active and much more engaged in travel planning; they use a variety of information and communication devices and diverse channels on the Internet; they seek information from a variety of sources including TV, documentaries, video, and social media; they make reservations online more often and exhibit higher usage of online travel agencies (OTAs); they consider more potential destinations to visit; they actively look for things to do, places for shopping and dining; they seek a wide range of tourism experiences including festivals, events, and spectator sports; they watch videos, use live chat, and listen to podcast; and, they are more open and responsive
to online advertising. As such from the marketing and management perspective, it is important to identify the right
combination of channels and the right “language” to attract and engage these travel planners.