Millennial travel trends: Responses to climate change

Abstract

The travel and tourism industry had been thriving prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, largely due to the millennial travelers. This paper aims to explore the responses of millennial travelers to climate change in terms of values, attitudes, and behaviors. In order to address the aim, this paper utilizes conceptual study based on past research regarding youth tourism and pro-environmental perspectives of Generation Y. Firstly, the paper identifies which values and beliefs are existent among the millennials, how they vary from region to region and the ways of these values are shaped. Secondly, it identifies the attitudes and viewpoints of the millennial travelers in relation to carbon mitigation, environmental conservation and restoration, and responsible tourism. Finally, it identifies the behaviors and actions of the millennial travelers in response to climate change. The outcomes of this paper might have a considerable academic contribution to determining the influence of different value categories (e.g., altruistic, biospheric, and egoistic) on the conscious and subconscious climate actions of the millennial travelers. This research may provide an avenue for possible policy implications to promote sustainable tourism practices among millennials in developed and developing nations.