Millennials are the new target market of Canada's tourism agencies

The low dollar is making Canada a much more attractive tourist destination, and tourism agencies across the country are vying to attract more millennials.

So-called millennials, people born in the '80s and '90s, represent a growing portion of travellers and they generate billions of dollars in tourist revenue globally.

Compared to other age groups, 20 and30-somethingsare travelling more often and staying at their destinations for longer.

They use their phones to choosea destination, book a flight, get around and share their experiences on social media.

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"We're such a big community of digital nomads," says Erin Booth, a millennial from New Orleans who will spend her summer in Canada. "We'll actually reach out to people. We'll go on Instagram and look at different photos and if something piques our interest, we'll actually reach out to that person."

Millenials are the fastest growing sector for Canadian tourism marketing

8 years ago

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Millenials are the fastest growing sector for Canadian tourism marketing

Booth and her partner, Tannia Suarez, are travel bloggersknown as the Wanderlust Ladies.

"We've never been to Canada and we thought Montreal would be the perfect city for our first Canadian experience. We love the French language so being here for the summer for the festivals and the food and the music was the best way to have an authentic feel," Suarez says.

While millennials like Suarez and Booth tend to spend less on accommodations, thanks to sites like Airbnb, they splurge on food and culture.

Ads targetmillennial travellers

Tourism agencies are catching on that this generation of travellers is seeking an experience not just a vacation.

As a result, their ad campaigns are shifting gears.

"It's not going to look like a traditional campaign brought to you by a federal Crown agency. It's going to be slick and hip and a little sexier," says David Goldstein, president and CEO of Destination Canada.

Montreal is releasing eight short films aimed at attracting more millennial travellers.

"Montreal is not a city to see it's a city to live," a voiceover in one filmsays.

In the campaign, young filmmakers showcase their own versions of the city.

One of the campaign'sfilmmakers, Mathieu Grimard, wanted to show his day-to-day life.

"That's my Montreal.That's what it sounds like, that's the people that I see every day."

Tourism Montreal says that by using ads that tell stories or share an experience, rather than just showing landmarks and tourist attractions, it's easier to reach millennials.

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"They are just interpreting what they like to see about the city, in their language, throughout some networks that are able to reach those people," says Franois Poulin, spokesman for Tourism Montreal.

And once the millennials have selected a destination, tourism agencies are relying on them to share their experiences with others.

"When we are in a city, we feel like we are temporary ambassadors for them," Suarez says. "That's the free publicity that cities get from millennials. We are so tapped into that market itself."