Is Travel the New Face of Philanthropy? And are Millennials the New Generous Generation?

CANTON, Mass., Sept. 25, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- America has always been considered one of the most generous nations, but now there's even more evidence in a new study called "Good Travels: The Philanthropic Profile of the American Traveler," released this week by Tourism Cares. The new data shows that more than half of the Americans surveyed have given of their money, time or goods while on a recent vacation. Not only was some kind of giving surprisingly prevalent, the care and support for the communities where the travelers visited was especially important for millennials, families and affluent households. 

Tourism Cares, the charitable arm of the tourism industry, just released this study of American travelers who "give back" prior to, during and following their travel experiences. It was conducted by Phocuswright and supported by the tourism industry, including sponsors American Express, Amadeus, Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection, Delta Air Lines, Hostelling International USA and the United States Tour Operators Association. It is the first holistic look at the giving and volunteering motivations, habits and practices of travelers before, during and after their trips.

"This new research helps the traveling public understand the potential for especially meaningful travel and is a call to action for the tourism industry," said Mike Rea, CEO of Tourism Cares. "This groundbreaking look at travelers who give holds the key to more sustainable tourism: for more meaningful travel for the public, for more responsive travel companies, and for travelers and the tourism industry to work together to better sustain the destination communities they care for."

Among the most interesting – and surprising – findings of the study are these:

Travel is a popular new form of philanthropy. 
Of 2,551 respondents accessed in the Good Travels survey, 1,405 (55%) indicated that they did some sort of volunteering or giving to a destination they visited for leisure in the last two years. A deeper look at a set of 507 "givers" found that 64% volunteered, 86% gave money and 78% gave in-kind while on a leisure trip. And they want their travel spending and giving to help the places they visit: 72% found their travel giving to be "important," or "very" or "extremely" important. There was a high degree of informal giving – 48% of respondents gave back directly to individuals or families, with others supporting religious, nonprofit, cultural and other organizations.

Millennials are the new Generous Generation. 
Of the travelers surveyed who are inclined to give while traveling, millennials were far more generous with their time, money and in-kind donations than any other generation – 81% volunteered, 78% donated cash and 83% gave in-kind during their most meaningful trip from the last two years. On average, they volunteer more than double the hours and donate nearly three times the money and 4.5 times the supplies than 55 and older travelers do. A travel company's giving profile is more important in the millennials' choice of travel suppliers, too: they place much higher value on suppliers' commitment to community and societal good, as 39% cited commitment to social responsibility is a factor in their selection of a travel provider.

Families who travel with children give and learn together, and want to give more. 
Families with children who travel give more of their volunteer time (73%) and in-kind services (82%) than any others. In fact, they give and volunteer more than the average person surveyed. It doesn't end when the vacation is over, either – upon returning home, 46% keep tabs on the causes they donated to and 34% gave more to the same cause. Additionally, they are passing these values along to their children: 49% of travelers plan to increase their children's engagement in giving activities and 47% intend to increase discussions about community needs with them, thus passing on the torch to future generations.

The affluent of all ages are especially powerful social travelers. 
Those with household incomes of over $100,000 are especially attuned to giving back at home and abroad: 55% felt it is very or extremely important for their spending and giving to help local communities; nearly four in 10 said corporate social responsibility (CSR) factors into their buying decisions. They gave the most during travel and a third gave again after returning home. More than 40% of travelers in the higher $150,000+ income bracket plan to engage their children more in charitable activities over the next two years.

Giving back while traveling creates a more satisfying trip.  
Giving is greatly rewarding for those who give, and most travelers agree. Of the givers surveyed, 64% expressed very high trip satisfaction directly linked to their charitable activities. This satisfaction factor applies to all age groups. Nearly three quarters of all families said the act of giving created a very positive trip experience, and 80% of millennials are extremely satisfied with their travel-related giving. Like families, millennials are also most likely to take positive actions even after returning home. 54% take an active interest in the causes they gave to and 50% intend to plan more trips around giving.

Non-givers present a great opportunity for future philanthropy. 
Almost half of those surveyed did not make a significant formal or informal donation during recent travel. Primary reasons for not doing so include not associating giving with travel (32%) and traveling purely for enjoyment (17%), yet a quarter said they would be interested in learning more, rising to a third for millennials. If added to those who were "somewhat interested" in learning more, the number goes to 58% overall and nearly 75% among millennials.

"We should certainly honor those who wish to just get away from it all; giving is not for everyone, all the time," said Rea. "However, we do see a big opportunity to introduce the value of giving during and following a travel experience."

The Good Travels research is being released in tandem with World Tourism Day on September 27.  Tourism Cares is a new affiliate member of United Nations World Tourism Organization, which sponsors the day each year to foster awareness of the importance of tourism and its social, cultural, political and economic values.

"Shaping the future of travel together is a key focus for Amadeus and we are proud to support this insightful initiative," said Carolyn Cauceglia, Vice President, Strategic Sales and Account Management for Amadeus North America and a Director of Tourism Cares. "As a technology and services company that powers the global travel community, we hope this research spurs travel agencies, tour operators and the industry overall to embrace meaningful ways to give back and to serve consumers looking to enhance their travel experience."

Tourism Cares and Phocuswright have published a white paper detailing the results of the Good Travels study, which is now available online at www.TourismCares.org/GoodTravels.

About Tourism Cares
Tourism Cares, Inc., a US 501(c)(3) public charity, preserves and enriches the travel experience for future generations. Founded and supported by leading associations and companies in the travel industry, the Tourism Cares community invests its resources, talent and influence in three areas: we support underappreciated and at-risk destinations and communities; we invest in those entering the industry and professional development for emerging leaders; and we share travel corporate social responsibility knowledge and best practices so that individual businesses can best support their own causes. Learn more at www.TourismCares.org and @TourismCares.

SOURCE Tourism Cares

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