WASHINGTON, Oct 16 — A survey profiling Millennial globetrotters around the world has found stark generational divides separating older travellers from their younger cohort. One of the biggest differences: travellers 18 to 30 are more likely to air their grievances in the cybersphere and post a negative review online.

The wide-sweeping survey, carried out by Expedia.com, polled 8,535 adults in 24 countries to assess the habits and preferences of Millennials, an increasingly influential demographic that is shaping the travel landscape.

Compared with their older colleagues, younger travellers were more likely to grumble about a negative hotel, flying or restaurant experience by blasting the service or facilities in a review online, the survey found.

Furthermore, nearly eight in 10 Millennials consider online travel reviews either “somewhat” or “very important”.

Maybe it’s because they’re less likely to earn as much as their older colleagues, but the report also found that younger travellers have less of a qualm about putting pricier, high-end meals on their expense sheet, with 42 per cent of Millennials saying they spend more dining out on their company’s dime than they would if they had to foot the bill themselves.

By comparison, 26 per cent of older respondents 42 to 65 said the same.

The same trend was observed in flight upgrades, room service, wine and alcohol.

And while business travellers tend to be early adopters of technology, this is especially true of younger users, researchers note.

Case in point: Millennials are more likely than their older colleagues to book their business travel on their mobile phones (32 per cent) or tablets (20 per cent), a habit that’s slow to catch on among 46- to 65-year-olds.

Respondents were polled in Europe, North America, South America and Asia Pacific. — AFP/Relaxnews