The travel industry - alongside nearly every other sector - is acutely aware of millennials, and is eager to provide them with the travel experiences they demand. In Singapore, as it is elsewhere, millennials are the demographic that increasingly makes and spends the nation's money. And so for a travel agent, hotel chain or airline to succeed, it needs to tap into the needs of this key group.
But pinpointing exactly what the average millennial wants from travel is not easy. Indeed, they might only be defined by the fact they are difficult to define.
It’s generally accepted, however, that millennials are spontaneous, curious travellers, fully at ease with last-minute trips overseas. And when it comes to accommodation, they are as at home in boutique rentals as they are in hostels.
This is as true of Asia as it is elsewhere. But this readiness to mix quality and budget accommodation doesn’t mean millennials are not big spenders. Indeed, Asian millennials are expected to splurge S$460 billion on international trips by 2020, according to Brand Karma, a hotel digital marketing agency.