The generational tourist: how age cohorts influence travel product choices

Purpose of the article – The purpose of this article is to explore the correlation between generational values and tourism product selection. It addresses the scientific problem of how socio-historical experiences influence consumer behaviour in the tourism sector. The goal is to identify distinct patterns among Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Generation Y that affect travel preferences including price sensitivity, trip duration, travel style, and desired levels of autonomy. Research methodology – A two-step research methodology was applied. In the first step, a codebook was created based on the catalogue of trips from a cooperating travel agency. Trips were categorized by seven characteristics such as type, length, and autonomy. In the second step, a dataset of 9605 travellers was analysed using SPSS 24. Generational cohorts were determined based on age, and correlation and cross-tabulation analyses were conducted to uncover significant patterns. Findings – The findings reveal significant generational differences in tourism preferences. Younger tourists (Generation Y) exhibit higher price sensitivity, prefer shorter and more autonomous trips, and show a stronger preference for city breaks. In contrast, Baby Boomers tend to favour more expensive, longer, and organized travel experiences. Generation X occupies a transitional position, showing moderate preferences across all categories. Practical implications – The results offer actionable insights for tourism providers and marketers. Understanding generational values enables travel agencies to tailor their offerings more effectively, segment their markets, and design targeted experiences that align with customer expectations, thus improving satisfaction and loyalty. Originality/Value – This study offers a novel contribution by empirically linking generational theory to concrete travel behaviour using a large dataset. Unlike previous studies that focused on general consumer behaviour, this research provides specific insights into generational travel preferences in the European market context.