73% of US travellers want innovation

When considering whether to buy travel products, services or experiences, 73% of leisure travellers care a lot or somewhat about whether those offerings are innovative, according to a new study from travel insurance and assistance provider AIG Travel. The company surveyed 1,700 US consumers for their thoughts on innovation in the travel industry.

While 79% of the poll respondents reported being either ‘pleasantly surprised’ or ‘fairly comfortable’ when they hear something has changed or is about to change, millennials (ages 23-38) are three times as likely (15% vs. 5%) as traditionalists (ages 74 and older) to ‘eagerly await’ an innovation in a travel-related service that they’ve used consistently.

Conversely, traditionalists are nearly three times as likely as millennials (17% vs. 6%) to react with ambivalence or annoyance when learning that such an innovation is forthcoming.

In terms of the single most innovative travel development over the past century, 79% of consumers cited the Wright brothers’ first flight. The debut of GPS car navigation systems came in second (56%), while the first commercial passenger flight came in third (50%).

Finally, when considering whether to buy travel products, services or experiences, 60% of respondents feel it’s important that the provider of these offerings has been around for 75 years or more.