GENERATION Y: The Impact of Generational Changes in Consumer Behaviour on the
Marketing of Tourist Attractions
Authors: Dr Anna Leask, Dr Paul Barron and Professor John Ensor, School of
Marketing, Tourism and Languages, Edinburgh Napier University and Professor Alan
Fyall, School of Tourism, Bournemouth University.
Edinburgh Napier University, Craiglockhart Campus, Edinburgh EH14 1DJ, Tel: 0044131-455-4385 email: j.ensor@napier.ac.uk
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GENERATION Y: The Impact of Generational Changes in Consumer Behaviour on the
Marketing of Tourist Attractions
ABSTRACT
This research study compares and contrasts the marketing strategies adopted by operators of
UK tourist attractions aiming to engage effectively with Generation Y (Gen Y) consumers.
Gen Y is widely regarded as the next big lifelong cohort with its own unique combination of
needs, wants and expectations. For the purpose of this study Gen Y are deemed to be those
born between the years 1982 and 1995. Gen Y tend to have relatively high levels of
discretionary spend, demonstrate high social orientation and levels of personalisation, and
regularly seek authentic experiences. The overall objective of this research is to analyse the
core behavioural characteristics and traits of Gen Y; identifying how such traits manifest
themselves in patterns of consumption. The research was undertaken across a range of tourist
attractions in the UK employing qualitative semi-structured interviews to gather the necessary
data.
The research findings suggest that Gen Y wish to listen less and do more in their visit
experiences. Gen Y have a preference for cluster activity and experiences and tourist
attractions need to strike a suitable balance between offering a sense of adventure, fun and
relaxation if they are to succeed in attracting this particular market segment on a long-term
basis. The research identifies a trend toward the co-creation of visit experiences through
personalised interpretive encounters facilitated through the employment of mobile media.
There is clear evidence that the extent to which tourist attractions’ actively encourage and
facilitate internet-enabled developments has a direct impact on the extent to which they are
viewed as Gen Y friendly.
The paper goes on to advance a number of approaches that attractions could employ to more
effectively capture the Gen Y market segment.
KEY WORDS: Marketing strategies, Generation Y, Consumption, Consumer Experiences,
Information Communication Technology, Tourist Attractions
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INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES
There are a number of studies on generational cohorts and patterns of generational behaviour
in the broader marketing and consumer behavior literature (e.g. Meredith & Schewe, 1994;
Paul, 2001; Bakewell & Mitchell, 2003; Bush, Martin & Bush, 2004; Kubacki, Skinner,
Parfitt & Moss, 2007; Haytko & Philips, 2009; Kumar & Lim, 2008; Lee et al., 2006;
Maloney, 2009; Moss et al., 2009; Noble, Nancarrow et al., 2002; Wolburg &
Pokrywczynski, 2001) as well as some recent studies in the domain of tourism (Glover &
Prideaux, 2009; Sullivan & Heitmeyer, 2008; Moscardo & Benckendorff, 2010; Nusair,
Parsa & Cobanoglu, 2010).
All of the above studies are underpinned by Mannheim’s (1952) introduction of generational
theory which ‘seeks to understand and characterise cohorts of people according to their
membership of a generation, which is objectively assigned according to the year of birth’
(Pendergast, 2010, p.1). Rather than focusing on individual behaviour and characteristics,
Pendergast argues generational behaviour provides a dynamic, socio-cultural framework that
at its core explores the extent to which different generations’ exhibit distinct differences in the
way in which they work, play, consume and generally live their life as well as the forces that
shape such behaviour. Although Mannheim (1952) applies a broad brush to the study of
generational behaviour, the wider theory is divided into what Mannheim refers to as the three
core “tenets”. The first, location, refers to the ‘chronological span of time for the birth years
of a cohort of individuals’ while the second, actuality, relates to the manner in which a
generation responds to ‘social changes and how these responses form the persona of the
generation’ (Donnison, 2007, p.4). The final tenet, units, relates to sub cohorts within the
broader generational segment.
Meredith and Schewe (1994) feel that cohort segmentation is a convenient basis for product
and service development, however not all members of a particular cohort can be considered to
all have the same characteristics, hence Kupperschmidt’s (2002) proposal that researchers
should consider each generation to be comprised of several cohorts. It is important to
recognise that cohorts, like Gen Y itself, fall into many further heterogeneous subgroups, or
subcultures (Morton, 2002; Maloney, no date). Gen Y, like other generations before them, is
also a product of its time (Scott, 2000). In her research, Scott draws on insights from
Mannheim (1952) by proposing that an individual’s generation will predispose those
individuals within that generation to adopt particular modes of thought and be shaped by
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experiences occurring within their particular generational timeframe. She also supports the
contention by Moscovici in Farr and Moscovici (1984) that generations tend to display
relatively unique social representations.
The central argument in favour of a generational approach to the study of markets, however,
is based on the premise that each generational cohort shares similar patterns of behaviour with
regard to work, leisure and consumption. Hence, while Baby Boomers (born 1943-1960) are
described as an ‘idealist’, and ‘driven’ generation and Generation X (born 1961-1981) as a
‘nomadic’ and ‘cynical’ generation, Gen Y (born 1982-1995) are frequently described as the
‘hero’ and ‘net generation’ in that they are good at learning new things and are
technologically advanced with many living a completely immersive online existence (Nusair
et al., 2010; Pendergast, 2010). The relevance and significance of Gen Y has been recognized
in numerous international studies (i.e. Harris Interactive, 2002; Josefowicz, 2003; Kim,
Knight & Pelton, 2009; O’Cass & Choy, 2008; Sweeney, 2008) although, as with all
generational cohorts, there remains some disagreement with regard to their precise “location”.
The overall objective of this research is to analyse the core behavioural characteristics and
traits of Gen Y; identifying how such traits manifest themselves in patterns of consumption;
and, the extent to which their purchasing and experiential behaviour has been influenced
and/or modified by Information Communication Technology (ICT). In choosing to focus on
tourist attractions the study seeks to identify the extent to which Gen Y serves as a market
opportunity or marketing challenge for this sector in the UK. In particular, this study seeks to
evaluate the extent to which Gen Y is a genuine market segment within the tourist attractions’
sector and aims to recommend strategies to the sector that will allow for the capture of the
Gen Y consumer. Before proceeding further, however, the following section presents a brief
overview of Gen Y and the core traits and patterns of consumption that arguably make them
distinct from other generational cohorts and of such potential the makes is worthy of
marketers attention.
LITERATURE REVIEW
Gen Y traits
Generation Y has generated much interest in the academic research community, none more so
than with regard to their core traits and general patterns of behaviour. Moscardo and
Benckendorff (2010) highlight the differences in opinions amongst many researchers as to
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the exact nature and characteristics of Gen Y, but propose that there does seem to be some
level of agreement about the applicability and relevance of four particular themes, namely:
that Gen Y is fairly unique in its particular approach to adopting and using digital media; it
has very positive views on factors such as diversity, flexibility, social issues and its own
future; it is strongly-oriented towards family and social groups; and it experiences a longer
period of adolescence than have previous generations.
This need to be part of a group is something that was identified by Horovitz (2002) and
Jennings, Cater, Lee, Ollenburg, Ayling and Lunny (2010), with much group interaction ably
assisted by online social networking tools that have helped facilitate group membership to
both virtual and physical spaces (Bausch & McGiboney, 2009; Yang, 2006). This in turn has
had an impact on the means by which one communicates with Gen Y as a consumer (Boyd &
Ellison, 2007). Austin (2009) and Glenn (2006) also suggest that organisations need to adapt
their own mindsets to accommodate the trend among Gen Y to distance themselves from
more traditional forms of advertising and communications, with Gen Y respecting the views
of family and friends over that of advertisers (Shepherdson, 2000).
Gen Y has proven to be particularly attractive to today’s marketers, retailers, product
developers and service providers in that they tend to have a high level of discretionary spend
at their disposal, mainly being sourced from their parents (Keating, 2000; Gardyn, 2002).
However, Goldsmith (2009) believes that the recent recession has forced many members of
Gen Y into the realisation that they may now have to financially support themselves
independently. This has resulted in some evidence of a drop in their spending and their
adoption of a more back-to-basics approach (Thomson, 2009). Gen Y has a strong focus on
recreation and leisure, and on socialising in general with shopping and dining out being two
of their key preferred activities (Keating, 2000). Fountain and Charters (2010) and Taylor and
Cosenza (2002), meanwhile, highlight the need for instant gratification, and corresponding
short attention spans, evident among Gen Y. This need to live for the moment and search for
hedonism does, however, prove challenging in that it indicates that Gen Y, more than most
generational cohorts, are constantly seeking the next “big thing” (Moss, Parfitt & Skinner,
2009; Nancarrow, Nancarrow & Page, 2002).
Gen Y Patterns of Consumption
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With regard to patterns of consumption, Gen Y are believed to be very fickle (Morton, 2002),
under the influence of celebrity culture (Glenn, 2006), and have high levels of personal
esteem whilst also seeking the approval of their peers (Bush et al., 2004; Greenberg, 2009).
Although the current economic climate is proving challenging (Goldsmith, 2009), Gen Y have
traditionally been regarded as a generational cohort with high levels of disposable income and
discretionary spend (Gardyn, 2002; Keating, 2000). In terms of actual spending, “spend now
save later” seems to be a consistent mantra (Der Hovanesian, 1999; Martin & Turley, 2004).
Prior to actual purchase, cost, value (Williams & Soutar, 2009), quality, level of service, and
experience expected (Jones, 1999) are crucial but there is also less importance attached to
what are perceived as mundane transactions (Fields, 2008). In the specific tourism context,
Jennings et al. (2010) highlight the necessity for an holistic approach to the visit experience in
that Gen Y are more often than not willing to pay above the going rate if assurances can be
made that truly memorable experiences will be delivered.
Kueh and Voon (2007) investigated advertising, promotions and publicity targeted at Gen Y
and concluded that for these to be effective, physical and technical aesthetics are important
considerations. From the physical aesthetics perspective, it was found that Gen Y expect
prompt service, visually appealing facilities and well-groomed staff. From the technical
aesthetics perspective, Huang and Petrick (2010) suggest the importance of incorporating eyecatching graphics, interactivity, and audio and multimedia features into advertising and
promotions targeted at Gen Y, and that any promotions have to be cohort-specific given the
inevitably-differing needs, wants and expectation of the different Gen Y cohorts. Huang and
Petrick consider that to target Gen Y effectively, it is helpful to focus promotional initiatives
that use a mix of media, including TV and radio broadcasts (using a few appropriatelyselected channels) and magazine advertising, on a calendar of events and on the convenience
that a central information/reservations point can offer. Loda and Coleman (2010) established
that Gen Y are enthusiastic readers of certain magazines for both information and
entertainment, and also that Gen Y rated TV and magazine advertising more highly than did
member of other generations. They also established that advertising that is preceded by some
form of related publicity tends to be the most effective marketing combination to use to reach
Gen Y. Huang and Petrick (2010) suggest that placing advertising and promotion emphasis on
particular types of destination attractions and features such as, for example, theme/amusement
parks, nightclubs, dancing and shopping opportunities, and using big city images is most
likely to appeal to a Gen Y consumer.
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Gen Y place a strong emphasis on integration of technology within all aspects of their lives,
thus creating a sense of expectation amongst them that ICT will be a central part of their
leisure experiences. Park et al. (2010) found evidence that the Internet has provided Gen Y
with a new medium through which to exchange and spread their personal travel and recreation
experiences and that, consequently, Gen Y are becoming extremely dependent on the Internet
as their first natural port of call to access information on attractions, and on tourism and travel
in general. The use of technology-based interpretation at tourist attractions is considered to be
an important tool for managing visitors whilst also meeting (or preferably exceeding) their
needs and expectations. The ability of ICT to personalise an interpretive experience is one of
its major advantages, allowing visitor attractions to offer a range of experiences for different
visitor. Hawkey (2004), Hafner and Chase (2004) and Sharples (2000) all agree that
appropriate personalisation combined with mobility is the way forward in audience
development for many, but not all, types of tourist attractions. Many destination management
bodies like the Destination Edinburgh Marketing Alliance (DEMA) either already have or are
planning to develop ‘digital hubs’ utilising rich Web 2.0-based multimedia content for
priority audiences including Gen Y (Leithal Thinking, 2009). Much of the content is expected
to be user-generated via established social media sites such as travel blogs which are
considered to be particularly rich sources of tourism and attractions-related user-generated
content (Bennett, 2008; Leithal Thinking, 2008). Gen Y are particularly keen to share their
experiences and post-visit opinions with others via organisations’ own websites and social
media (Chatchaidamrong & Leelapanyalert, 2009) utilising varied forms of digital technology
such as digital cameras, Web cams, mobile phones and blogs (Gretzel et al, 2006).
In relation to tourist attraction visits, the profile of visitors to destinations does not necessarily
match the profile of available attractions (DEMA, 2008). For example, where significant
visitor numbers fall into the Gen Y category and heritage attractions form the basis of the
tourism product, a gap in provision may exist, resulting in Gen Y visitors not engaging with
the available provision. The attractions sector is increasingly competitive and while few
attractions gather visitor figures in relation to age profile, the Gen Y market has been
identified as offering opportunities for growth in the development of products, experiences
and provision of services targeted at this group (Leask, 2010). Pine II & Gilmore (1998, p.
99) propose that ‘experiences are inherently personal, existing only in the mind of an
individual’. Visit experiences are, therefore, entirely subjective and, as such, tourist
attractions need to engage with their various consumer groups, particularly Gen Y, in
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meaningful ways to enable them to accurately gauge what makes an ideal Gen Y experience
(Jennings et al., 2010). Fountain and Charters (2010) consider that Gen Y want a more
personalised and tailored experience that involves a high level of interaction with attractions
staff, however, they also confirmed that Gen Y do look for different types of experiences at
different types of attractions. Jennings et al. (2010) identified that the interconnectivity of the
entire visit experience, right through from pre- to post-visit, is highly important to Gen Y.
One very notable feature of Gen Y as compared to other generational cohorts is that they are
the most educated and culturally-diverse generation ever (Howe, 2006; Wolburg &
Pokrywczynski, 2001). This, in turn, suggests that “intra-generational” hetereogenity opens
up opportunities for further sub segments (Neuborne & Kerwin, 1999; Taylor & Cosenza,
2002), a point recognised by Bakewell and Mitchell (2003), Lee, Atkins, Kim and Park
(2006) and Sit, Merrilees and Birch (2003) in their studies on the respective differences
between male and female Gen Y patterns of consumption. Specific to patterns of leisure
consumption, evidence suggests that Gen Y of both sexes demonstrate a distinct preference
for events and activities that are targeted specifically at them and that recognise that they
represent a distinct audience group (Grove & Fisk, 1997; Lovelock & Wirtz, 2007). The
notion that Gen Y represent a single generational cohort is thus clearly open to debate in that
although it is clear that a number of core behavioural characteristics are seemingly shared en
masse, interpretations of the “location” of Gen Y do vary. Irrespective of one’s views on
whether Gen Y is a single segment or a set of multiple segments, however, it is widely
recognised that Gen Y are one of the largest consumer cohorts today with some of the highest
levels of discretionary spend at their disposal. As such, they are a prime target market for
many organisations offering a wide range of different types of products, services and
experiences (Der Hovanesian, 1999; Martin & Turley, 2004; Morton, 2002) and represent a
generational segment worthy of further research scrutiny.
RESEARCH FRAMEWORK AND METHODOLOGY
Before outlining the methodology for this study, the following section outlines the research
framework that sets the conceptual underpinning for the study and sets the parameters for the
collection and analysis of primary data.
Research framework
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Despite the limited existence of literature on how tourist attractions engage with Gen Y, and
other generational cohorts more broadly, there is in evidence as outline earlier in the literature
review of numerous studies of Gen Y as consumers (i.e. Bakewell & Mitchell, 2003; Kubacki,
Skinner, Parfitt & Moss, 2007; Lee et al., 2006; Moss et al., 2009; Nancarrow et al., 2002;
Wolburg & Pokrywczynski, 2001). Jones (1999), meanwhile, concluded that entertaining
retailing experiences have a great deal in common with entertaining leisure and recreation
experiences and that the experience comprises of two broad sets of factors, namely retailer or
“organisation” factors and “consumer” factors, both of which need to combine synergistically
to create the type of experience sought the consumer. At the same time, Gentile, Spiller and
Noci (2007) looked at the concept of the customer experience and how it should ideally create
value for both the organization itself and for the consumers of its various products, services,
facilities and experiences, while Shaw and Ivens (2002) developed their ‘Seven Philosophies
for Building Great Customer Experiences’. This latter publication provides organisations with
a useful set of principles for creating the ideal experience for consumers.
Drawing on the collective works of Gentile et al. (2007), Jones (1999) and Shaw and Ivens
(2002), a modified framework model of the consumer experience as applicable to
organisations operating in the tourist attraction sector was developed by the authors (see
Figure 1). According to Clark (1999), when trying to gauge levels of customer satisfaction
within any customer experience, organisations need to break the experience down into a series
of attributes or benefits associated with a particular product or service that are particularly
valued by the target consumer in order to build up an accurate picture of how well that
product or service meets their expectations. Jones (1999) suggests that consumers may find
purchasing a product or service fun and exciting, fun and excitement also being typical
features of a leisure or recreational experience. Through his research into entertaining retail
experiences, Jones (1999) identified two broad groups of factors that, when taken together,
contribute to entertaining shopping experiences, these being: retailer or “organisation” factors
such as retail prices, selection, store environment, and sales people; and, “consumer” factors
such as social aspects, tasks, time, product involvement and financial resources. The allimportant question is which individual factors, inherent in entertaining shopping experiences,
are also characteristic of entertaining, fun-based leisure and recreational experiences, and
which ones contribute to non-entertaining, work-like experiences (Babin & Darden, 1995;
Babin, Darden & Griffin, 1994). Jones (1999) found that the consumer factors as a whole
usually form the bulk of an entertaining experience. Given the conclusions as previously
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noted that entertaining shopping experiences have much in common with entertaining leisure
and recreation experiences, it would be reasonable to conclude that by adapting the factors to
be more generic in description, the groups of factors identified by Jones (1999) would also be
applicable in leisure and recreation contexts such as visits to tourist attractions. Both the four
organisational and four consumer factors are explored in more detail in the following sub
sections (see figure 1).
Consumer factors
Jones (1999) found that “social aspects” proved to be the most important and influential factor
of all in an entertaining retail experience, with interaction taking place with other shoppers in
addition to other people within their own party. Opportunities for socialising are ranked
highly in leisure and recreation experiences sought by Gen Y (Galani & Chalmers, 2002;
Richardson, 2009) for whom socialising can begin in the form of information-seeking and
information exchange via various types of media long before they actually make a decision to
visit a servicescape of some sort. Chatchaidamrong and Leelapanyalert (2009), meanwhile,
agree with the conclusions of previous researchers that when consumers are able to access,
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understand and share information (particularly when using Internet-based technology), they
tend to develop feelings of empowerment. As evidenced earlier, it is clear that Gen Y are keen
information-seekers and exchangers about products and services that are of particular interest
to them. The exponential growth occurring in their level of social media usage facilitates
these needs and desires (Godin, 2003; De Valck, Van Bruggen & Wierenga, 2009). Jones
(1999) believes that a selection of unique products combined with extraordinary service and a
comfortable atmosphere constitute the consumer’s most basic expectations, and that failure to
meet these expectations will have an impact on the consumer’s (re)purchase/(re)visit
intentions.
“Time” (the second consumer factor) involves creating a sense of unlimited time and freedom
as a prerequisite to developing an entertaining experience. Jones (1999) found that hedonistic
shoppers who are not time limited in any way can derive much enjoyment from simply
browsing rather than having to actually make a purchase. This is similar to the vicarious
enjoyment (Babin et al., 1994) that can be derived through seeking and exchanging
information about leisure and recreational activities such as the fantasy-fulfilling activities
(Hirschman, 1983) that have been made possible today through Web 3.0 virtual worlds such
as Second Life (Bustos, 2007; Kohler, Matzler & Fuller, 2009; Mahfouz, Philaretou &
Theocharous, 2008). As quoted earlier, Gen Y are also considered by many to be primarily an
indoor generation that prefers to gravitate towards relying heavily on technology within the
home environment for their entertainment (Johnson, Tevyaw & Hardy, 2007). This presents a
challenge for attraction providers in trying to entice them out into the world of experiences in
the outdoor environment. The available time budget can have an influence on the level and
types of enjoyment that consumers can derive from participation in tourist attractions with
many authors placing a strong emphasis on the importance of appropriate design in both the
servicescape delivery environment itself, and also, in how products, services and, ultimately
the experiences themselves are delivered to consumers (Bitner, 1992; Gilmore & Pine II,
2002; Jones, 1999; Shaw & Ivens, 2002). Gilmore and Pine II (2002) suggest a variety of
customisation approaches that an organisation could employ in the interest of developing and
delivering time-efficient entertaining leisure and recreational experiences.
“Involvement” (the third consumer factor) relates to the crucial requirement for an
organisation to create interest in and/or opportunities for interaction with the various
product(s) and/or service(s) on offer. Smith (1994:589-590) and Xu (2010) emphasise the
necessity to provide consumers with an acceptable range of options. That is the tangible
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“freedom of choice” element combined with the degree of involvement (that is, some level of
participation in the delivery, as well in as the consumption, of a product or service) that they
require to ensure they obtain the type of experience which they are seeking. In Xu’s (2010)
adaptation of Smith’s (1994) tourism product model, “freedom of choice” and “involvement”
are two of the four interdependent supporting elements (the others being “service” and
“hospitality”) that surround and support the core element (the “physical plant”) of any leisure
or recreational tourism product. Both Smith and Xu maintain that their respective models can
be applied either to discrete tourism commodities or to a package of commodities that
comprise a whole tourism experience.
Finally, and with regard to “discretionary financial resources” (the fourth consumer factor),
Babin and Darden (1995) found that resource expenditure is positively associated with
hedonic value, whilst Jones (1999) established that having sufficient financial resources at
their disposal created a sense of freedom and fulfillment which fed consumers’ inclination to
acquire particular goods and services. As recognised earlier, therefore, Gen Y are clearly one
of the largest market sectors today and represent a prime target market for many organisations
offering a wide range of different types of products, services and experiences (Der
Hovanesian, 1999; Martin & Turley, 2004; Morton, 2002).
Organisational factors
Jones (1999) found that organisational factors tended to go unnoticed by consumers and that
only when one or more of these factors fell below a certain level or standard did perceptions
of a non-entertaining experience start to form. “Price” (the first organisational factor) was
influential for a number of consumers, and that finding a bargain or obtaining a discount
increased a consumer’s perception of obtaining value for money, which is considered to be an
important aspect of an entertaining experience (Andersson & Carlback, 2009). As referenced
earlier, Fields (2008) reports that the key considerations for Gen Y before purchasing a
product or service are: firstly, the cost (preferably cheap or at least good value); quality (must
be good); and level of service provided (should be fast), all of which are to be encapsulated in
some sort of “experience”.
Regarding “product/service selection” (the second organisational factor), Jones (1999)
established that operators offering products or services that were considered to be either
innovative or different were rated with a higher entertainment level in the experience they
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offered compared to those offering more mainstream products and services. Given that Gen Y
are the ultimate experience seekers, perhaps “experiencescape” may be a better descriptor
than “servicescape”, however in the interest of simplicity, the term “servicescape” will
continue to be used in this study.
Where the “servicescape environment” (the third organisational factor) is concerned, the
importance of the well-organised and attractive servicescape layout that makes locating and
consuming products and services easy also contributes to consumers’ perceptions about the
quality of available choice options (Bitner, 1992; Jones, 1999). Ambience is another
important consideration in certain types of consumption experiences such as restaurant
environments (Andersson & Carlback, 2009). Generation Y have some very specific
requirements if they are to be encouraged to frequent certain servicescapes on a regular basis
to indulge in the entertaining experiences on offer therein.
Finally, regarding “personnel” (the fourth organisational factor), organisational staff can
contribute positively towards creating an entertaining shopping experience by being
unobtrusive but on hand when assistance and/or information is required by consumers of the
products, services and experiences on offer (Jones, 1999). Similarly, the presence and attitude
of organisational personnel, and other customers, can either enhance or have a negative
impact on a leisure or recreational experience (Andersson & Carlback, 2009). Grove and Fisk
(1997) and Lovelock and Wirtz (2007) also highlight the importance of managing the
customer portfolio in addition to training staff in delivering service quality to attract valuable
market segments such as Gen Y.
Research Methods
The Audience Experience Model in Figure 1 informed the subsequent data collection,
analysis and reporting stages of this study. Based on the findings from the literature review,
an appropriate case study approach was deemed to be appropriate for the project. Based on
the various case study design options proposed by Yin (2009), it was decided to adopt a
multiple-case design due to the varied nature of the tourist attractions selected for inclusion in
the overall case study.
A series of interview questions were formulated from the literature review based on the
various Gen Y perspectives identified. Each question correlated to one or more of the various
organisation and consumer factors in the Audience Experience Model. Questions focused on
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the: identification of the constituent components of the products, services and experiences
currently offered or planned for Gen Y by tourist attractions; provision by attractions for
socializing, the nature of the attractions’ marketing and promotional activities, the emphasis
placed on value; the support necessary by attractions to enhance delivery of the customer
experience; and, mechanisms to deliver the attraction experience including the contribution of
information communication technology (ICT).
After the literature review was completed, an extensive internet search was conducted to find
examples of organisations operating in various sectors that appeared to demonstrate some
level of best practice in the way they sought to engage with their audiences. This was through
various methods, media, products, services and/or experiences that were known to also be
particularly attractive to Gen Y. From the investigations undertaken, and for the specific
context of this study, a shortlist of case study tourist attractions was compiled. The authors
debated the issue of establishing what number of cases would generate ‘the theoretical
saturation point’ (Eisenhardt, 1989, p.545). In reality, pragmatic considerations such as
available time, money and manpower had a significant bearing on determining when the
associated point of closure was reached (Nieto & Perez, 2000). However, with eight
attractions selected for case attention, the study safely sits within the four to ten cases
recommended by Eisenhardt (1989). The tourist attractions that were finally selected as case
studies and that agreed to be interviewed for the study were Madame Tussauds, London;
Science Museum, London; Glasgow Science Centre; Mary King’s Close, Edinburgh;
Edinburgh Dungeons; National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh; Go Ape, Aberfoyle and
Thorpe Park, England.
Interviews were held with appropriate key informants at each of the attractions over a period
of several months between February and May 2009. The interviews were conducted using a
semi-structured interviewing approach. Each interview took place at the respective tourist
attraction and was typically of one hour’s duration. Two members of the research team were
present at each interview consistent with the views of Eisenhardt (1989) and Rowley (2002).
Written notes were taken during each of the interviews and then typed up in summary form
for subsequent approval by the interviewees, fellow interviewers and later analysis by the
authors of the study. Once all the interview data was compiled, cross-case analysis was
conducted to identify key similarities and differences between the reported approaches being
taken in relation to Gen Y consumer, the constituent products, services and facilities made
available, and the associated visit experiences being offered at the different attractions. To
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achieve this, the details in each of the sets of summary interview notes were thematically
coded and analysed to identify what the case study tourist attractions are doing that represents
best practice when serving the Gen Y audience. This was done, firstly, by classifying and then
categorising the details in the interviewees’ responses according to the various Organisation
and Consumer factors that were integral to the Audience Experience Model and which were
also used to formulate the various questions posed during the interviews. Finally, a summary
of the key findings for each individual factor was prepared which reflects the general
significance of each of these factors in relation to the tourist attraction case study as a whole.
The following section presents and discusses the findings factor by factor with the final
section of the study summarizing the key conclusions to the study and a set of
recommendations for adoption by the tourist attraction sector in the UK.
FINDINGS
Pricing
It was found that a high admission charge is not necessarily a disincentive when it comes to
attracting Gen Y consumers to tourist attractions. Some of the tourist attractions that feature
product that appeal to Gen Y, for example, theme parks, charge relatively high admission
charges. Targeted discounting is utilized at specific quiet times of the year and to target
specific groups of visitors, usually via web-based vouchers. Some tourist attractions offer
premium price products that offer additional ‘value’ in the form of by-passing queues. In
addition consumer feedback suggests that these premium products also carry a perceived level
of prestige that is consistent with Gen Ys’ need to be accepted and recognized by their peers.
It would appear that if the specific products, services and experiences on offer are of the type
that particularly appeals to this consumer segment, they do not see cost as being a major issue.
There are differences of opinion regarding whether it is advisable to charge admission to
special evening events targeted at Gen Y. Currently such events are usually funded from
within the organisation, though factors such as a lack of sponsorship or available funding
from operational budgets has a bearing on if and how much a tourist attraction decides to
charge. The revenue raised via secondary spend on food and beverage and the sale of other
services can help to overcome this issue.
Products/services
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The nature of the product, service and experience offered has a strong bearing on whether or
not Gen Y will be inclined to frequent an attraction. Gen Y are the ultimate experience
seekers and, as such, they seek fun adventure, excitement and thrills realised through active
involvement and engagement. If the core products and services of a tourist attraction do not
fulfil Gen Ys’ strict criteria, then there is always the option to develop and offer a special
programme of evening events to draw them in, however the events must be adult-only and
they must be centred around opportunities for socialisation.
Although Gen Y is technologically-savvy, core products and services offered at an attraction
need not be based on the electronic mobile handheld technology that are the essential personal
possessions of Gen Y. Essentially it is the core product that needs to be based on a
characteristic that is particularly appealing to Gen Y. Interestingly, product appeal can
sometimes be culturally-specific with international Gen Y visitors rather than domestic Gen Y
visitors being the key consumer at some attractions. If attractions that do not traditionally
attract Gen Y are to do so in the future, one particular strategy to achieve this is through the
organisation of special events that are designed around the specific need for Gen Y to be
entertained while at the same time enabling them to socialise and share the experience with
friends and their peers. Provision of appropriate types of food and beverage is an important
consideration if the Gen Y consumer is to be satisfied and encouraged to return to future
events. Gen Y staff have been involved in some attractions as interpretive assistants who play
an important part during the evening events in facilitating and encouraging event participants
to become engaged in the various special activities offered.
Attractions such as heritage attractions and museums that offer a more traditional visit
experience based around either a guided or self-guided tour will often struggle to attract the
Gen Y consumer as their products and services are often considered to be too conservative for
engagement. This was apparent to some degree from the interviews, at museums in particular,
suffering from perceptions amongst Gen Y that they are very family-oriented and therefore
are not likely to offer much that will be of interest or relevance to them. Gen Y are also
reluctant to have to mix with other consumer segments such as families, older adults, and
children. In response to this, much effort has been invested in addressing such perceptions and
developing a complementary offer of interest and relevance to other key audience groups, in
particular Gen Y. The formula working best to date is based around a combination of
temporary exhibitions and special adult-only evening events. Late night opening is considered
16
crucial to the attraction of Gen Y and as such it has become key to future corporate plans for
consumer engagement.
Servicescape
The attributes of the physical servicescape that Gen Y consider to be important do not differ
significantly from those of any other consumer segment, however, providing space for
socialising with friends seems to be particularly important to them. The virtual servicescape is
just as important as the physical servicescape, with the virtual servicescape coming into play
both before and after an on-site visit takes place as well as perhaps also during the visit. The
main elements of an attractions’ virtual servicescape usually consists of the attraction’s own
website which should be interconnected with its various social media presences, in particular
its online social networking presence. The most popular online social networks for the Gen Y
consumer tend to be Facebook and Twitter, with extensive use also being made of content
communities such as Flickr (for posting of photos) and YouTube (for video postings).
Personnel
The outgoing and self-assured nature that is typical of many members of Gen Y makes them,
in theory, the ideal type of people to take on a role in which they are required to engage
directly with visitors. Staff at attractions that appeal to the Gen Y consumer segment are often
recruited on the basis of their personality and attitude first, on the premise that these attributes
are the most important requirements and that other skills can subsequently be acquired if
given appropriate training by the attraction. Gen Y staff are often highly proactive with their
ideas and enthusiastic to see them adopted, however this age group can be time-consuming to
manage and it can take a significant amount of effort to keep them engaged and interested.
Social
Gen Y are particularly social beings and they seek to make every activity and experience a
social one. Being able to spend time and share experiences with friends is an important
consideration for Gen Y when deciding how they will spend their free time and also their
disposable income, which can be substantial. The ability to socialise during a visit experience
is important to Gen Y who tend to want to make use of these opportunities to actually spend
quality time with their friends rather than just exchanging chat online. Being avid selfpromoters, Gen Y appreciate that social media offers them a fast, efficient and effective
means of promoting their own public personae to the people within their various social circles
via their preferred social network (usually Facebook).
17
Pre- and post-event engagement via social media is considered by attractions to be very
important with regard to postings made on discussion boards and blogs. These online tools
also tend to serve as the means by which Gen Y spread the word about their visit experiences
across their wider social networks of friends, with specialist travel and tourism blogs such as
Trip Advisor serving to enable them to post their views to the wider Web world. Management
of consumer engagement through social media requires a serious commitment on the part of
the host attraction with some attractions committing full-time members of staff to manage this
particular activity.
Time
Gen Y visitors have expressed a preference to be able to pace their visit to suit their own
timetable and agenda. Special monthly evening events are, by their nature, both time- and
date-constrained, however neither factor appears to diminish Gen Ys’ interest in them as long
as the events satisfy their basic requirements – these being centred around convenient and
appealing entertainment and socialising opportunities in a conducive and child-free
environment, and offering appropriate food, drink, activities and giveaways.
Degree of involvement
It was common for attractions to report that Gen Y do not particularly want to have to mix
with other audience groups such as older adults, families, and particularly, children’s groups.
Gen Y consumers look for products and services that are designed and targeted at them
specifically. The customer-facing staff at an attraction can add an extra dimension to the visit
experience in an otherwise traditional type of visitor attraction. The role of visitor attractions
staff carries over into evening programmes of events where, in a child-free environment, Gen
Y are more likely to be persuaded and cajoled by staff, particularly Gen Y-aged staff, into
trying out some of the exhibits and activities on offer. Interestingly, some of the attractions
that seemed to be most popular with Gen Y also seem to offer the least amount of opportunity
for involvement – attractions offering actor-led tours that featuring horror and gore seem to be
particularly appealing to Gen Y. The appeal of such features combined with Gen Ys’ inherent
need for sensation-seeking must serve to compensate for the limited number of involvement
opportunities offered within such a visit experience.
The ideal type of Gen Y attraction, if indeed there is such a thing, would appear to be one that
offers active involvement at a pace that the individual can dictate to some degree. The typical,
18
perhaps rather frenetic, theme park experience would seem to tick these particular boxes. This
experience is essentially one of both active and passive involvement and needs to be of an
experience that is compelling. The experience is usually shared with others and needs to be
rather extreme and thrilling to some degree. Staff can focus on creating a great service
experience while visitors' involvement is extended to the pre-visit stage through print-at-home
ticketing which offers discounted prices for pre-purchase and pre-payment. Additionally,
visitors can give feedback during and after their visit via special touch screens located around
the sites.
Discretionary financial resources
Gen Y typically have a significant amount of disposable income available which makes them
an attractive consumer proposition for tourist attractions to try to recruit. They are, however,
quite financially-savvy and they seek value for money and for time in their expenditure. The
challenge for the more traditional visitor attractions may be to help Gen Y see and appreciate
that their rather hefty admission prices do, in fact, offer them real value for money and for
time. This, however, will always be challenging to achieve if the core product and/or the
special events programmes offered by an attraction do not meet Gen Ys’ particularly
demanding and specific needs and expectations. Attractions that are of particular interest to
Gen Y also tend to be perceived as expensive to visit, however the important factor for Gen Y
appears to be whether or not they also perceive that the visit experience will offer them real
value.
Some attractions take the view that by offering free admission for either their standard visit
experiences or for special evening events offered, visitors may feel inclined to spend more on
secondary purchases whilst on site. The decision as to how much, or even whether to charge
for admission is a difficult one and may be dependent upon whether or not the event running
costs can be covered, or at least subsidised, either from their operating budget and/or from
sponsorship secured. Offering discounted prices, as is common practice at many Gen Ypreferred attractions, appears to increase the attractiveness of the various ticket options
offered which, in turn, is likely to positively influence the ticket options purchased and also
the level of secondary spend made whilst on site.
CROSS-CASE SYNTHESIS
This study set out to identify the extent to which Gen Y serves as a market opportunity or
marketing challenge for tourist attractions in the UK and to identify successful strategies
19
adopted by tourist attractions to seek engagement with this generational segment. In
particular, this study sought to evaluate the extent to which Gen Y is a genuine market
segment within the attractions’ sector and, if so, to recommend strategies to the visitor
attractions’ sector that will allow for the capture of the Gen Y consumer.
Market opportunities
Although debate continues in the academic domain with regard to the precise “location” of
Gen Y and the extent to which identifiable “waves” exist (Kupperschmidt, 2000), each of the
attraction managers interviewed referred only to Gen Y in its broadest sense referring more to
a set of behavioural characteristics than a precise definition with regard to the three tenets as
initially proposed by Mannheim (1952). All eight interviewees were in agreement that Gen Y
existed as a segment, that it was a sufficiently large and different cohort to warrant attention,
and that it was a cohort of sufficient importance that it would ultimately shape the future
behaviour of the broader market with regard to patterns of visitation, consumption and
employment. Although the degree of importance of Gen Y to each attraction varied, each
attraction acknowledged the importance of this generational cohort both now and for the
future.
Opportunities most clearly seen from the research include the importance of the degree of
involvement regarding the need to extend active visitor involvement into the pre- and postvisit stages. This supports the conclusions of both Semper and Spasojevic (2002) and Buhalis,
Owen and Pletinckx (2006) who suggest that in order to encourage customers to visit, in
particular Gen Y, attractions have to engage with and inform their customers through the
effective use of available Internet-based resources, usually in the form their own web site
combined with its preferred social media resource, most probably Facebook. The use of
language compatible to Gen Y is also deemed significant as is the need to provide an eclectic
provision of food and beverage. The organisation of special events is proving to be very
effective in engaging with Gen Y and are gradually becoming integral to the core product.
Interestingly, despite Morton’s (2002) conclusions that price and value are prime
considerations for Gen Y, this research revealed that levying a high admission charge is not
necessarily a disincentive. As long as the specific products, services and experiences on offer
are particularly appealing to Gen Y do not appear to perceive the high cost of admission as a
major issue. Clearly, then, producing the right products, services and experiences for a
20
particularly profitable market segment such as Gen Y is an opportunity to create significant
value for an organisation.
Marketing challenges
From analysis of the data collected from all eight interviews, it was apparent that all the
attractions felt that getting the products, services and experiences on offer right and
maximising the degree of involvement in a visit experience were the most considerations.
This poses a challenge for tourist attractions given that, as Pine II & Gilmore (1999) maintain,
visit experiences are highly subjective and inherently personal and that there can be no “one
size fits all” solution, even within as specific audience sector like Gen Y which will inevitably
eventually be comprised of a number of heterogeneous sub-groups (Morton, 2002). The
appropriateness of each individual attribute and benefit of any product or service incorporated
needs to be accurately gauged to ascertain how it contributes, either positively or negatively,
to the overall visit experience being offered to Gen Y. Visit experiences targeted at Gen Y
need to be designed “from the outside in” as suggested by Shaw and Ivens (2002), keeping
the target group firmly in mind throughout the process. Modifying, updating and repackaging
existing core or even developing complementary new ones that are tailored to the
requirements of Gen Y has been shown to be the way forward for tourist attractions for whom
Gen Y is not normally a large part of their customer base. These case study attractions appear
to have clearly-defined customer development strategies that aim to offer the necessary choice
and involvement combined with appropriate levels of service and hospitality as advocated by
Smith (1994) and Xu (2010) in Gen Y-tailored packages.
The interviews also highlighted that incorporating elements of fun into a consumer experience
is as crucial as offering product choice, convenience and fair prices, appears to be being
recognised by the most Gen Y-friendly visitor attractions. Gen Y are acknowledged by many
other researchers, for example, Moss et al. (2009), Nancarrow et al. (2002) and Moscardo and
Benckendorff (2010) as being rather hedonistic and self-indulgent, often enjoying an extended
period of adolescence. The need for self-indulgence, fun and socialising with friends both onand off-site at a visitor attraction as proposed by Jennings et al. (2010) came through
particularly strongly in the research findings.
Conclusions
21
This study suggests a number of strategies can be employed by tourist attractions in trying to
appeal to the Gen Y market segment.
The research has shown that engagement with Gen Y can be achieved from developing
products and services aimed directly at the Gen Y consumer. It has also been seen that
considerable effort and resources are required to successfully breakthrough what can
sometimes be the quite difficult barrier of negative perceptions. More common across the
sector, perhaps, is the need to implement modification strategies that update and repackage
existing core products, and which continuously develop complementary new products and
services such as events. Related to this is the need for imaginative market development
strategies that offer choice and involvement combined with the appropriate levels of service,
hospitality and flexibility required to capture the engagement of Gen Y. There is also a need
to develop what is referred to as “outside-in” experiential strategies with a strong
entertainment and fun orientation. The research identifies a trend toward the co-creation of
visit experiences through personalised interpretive encounters facilitated through the
employment of mobile media.
It can be seen that attractions that adopt Gen Y segment-specific strategies with strong
personalisation and branding are more likely to succeed than those that take a more superficial
and short-term approach. Attractions that implement strategies that enhance active pre- and
post-visit involvement and social interaction are also likely to succeed. Communication
strategies that drive, and are driven by, word-of-mouth and word-of-mouse are critical and
reflect the significant part to be played by online social media when marketing to Gen Y. To
facilitate the creation of value in terms of both time and effort, it is also appropriate for
attractions to develop suitable cluster strategies, often in the form of intra- and interattraction collaboration to facilitate cross-promotion and event organisation.
It is clear that ICT is likely to play an increasingly significant role in the future development
of strategies to engage with Gen Y. The consumer behaviour exhibited by Gen Y indicates
that ICT can support and encourage greater engagement with tourist attractions at all stages in
their experience – pre, during and post. Tourist attractions recognise the importance of the
influence of ICT in communication, satisfaction and encouraging visits with those that engage
fully with the opportunities afforded by ICT placed to benefit most. Generation Y represent
the future and offer extensive opportunities for those tourist attractions that identify the
challenges and develop appropriate consumer experiences in response.
22
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