Search and discovery habits have undergone a transformation in recent years, thanks to the power of social media. Today, it is the number one tool for holiday inspiration, according to Klook’s 2023 Travel Pulse report.
From dreamy vacation photos to insider tips on hidden gems, social media has become an invaluable resource for those planning their next adventure, driving the discovery of destinations and unique experiences.
In this ever-evolving landscape, Klook and its merchant partners are adapting to cater to the needs and preferences of the next generation of travelers, consisting mainly of Millennials and Gen Zs who make up the majority of its user base.
How can Klook’s merchants engage better with Millennial and Gen Z travelers?
Ensure digitally accessible information, adopt a customer-first approach
In the wake of the global pandemic, travelers increasingly favor booking processes that are digitally accessible and mobile-friendly, and seamless. One of the most important things merchants can do is to provide ease of booking their experiences and ability to access key details, with a true customer-centric approach.
Skypark Sentosa by AJ Hackett centers their experiences around the customer
Skypark Sentosa by AJ Hackett shared that a valuable strategy is to seamlessly incorporate this focus into the system. “We made the customer the key focus and ensured that every aspect of the customer journey was optimized. Our ticketing system includes an in-built post-visit survey, enabling us to monitor feedback and enhance our processes and experiences to meet the evolving demands of our customers,” they said.
From setting up touchpoints and feedback channels, digitalizing operations and processes, and introducing new ways of engaging customers, merchants are increasingly putting the customer-first, and making the user experience as seamless as possible.
Leverage Kreators for authentic content
Travelers place immense trust in content and recommendations they encounter on social media platforms, seeking out relatable and informative content from fellow travelers.
Through the Klook Kreator Program, merchants have access to a community of Kreators (content creators and affiliates) ready to share their authentic, personal reviews of the experiences they offer. By leveraging this network, they can tap into the power of social media by collaborating with Kreators to create user-generated content.
This approach transcends traditional advertising, by allowing our partners to resonate with travelers through Kreators’ real-life stories and experiences, ultimately sparking curiosity and inspiring travel.
Curate social media friendly experiences
Travelers use social media to explore a variety of aspects during their trip, and 87% of travelers believe that capturing content suitable for social media is crucial during their journeys.
Japanese merchant Kimono Miyabi saw success in capturing this demand through the power of social media. "The lace kimono, which is now popular nationwide in Japan, was actually started by our company. We originally introduced them because we wanted to capture the Japanese market during the pandemic, when overseas customers could not enter Japan. We wanted to create kimonos that would look good on all generations and that would also be easily Instagrammable. After using influencers to promote our products on social networking sites, they spread nationwide, and are now very popular with customers from overseas.”
Merchants can capitalize on this trend by curating and designing experiences that are visually captivating and social media friendly. Experiences with picturesque elements are particularly appealing to Millennial and Gen Z audiences, especially among content creators who are on the prowl for unique experiences that can be easily shared.
