Millennials’ Travel Behavior in Small Island Destination: The Overview of Gili Trawangan, Indonesia

Abstract

Aims: The purpose of this study is to examine the travel behavior of millennial generation tourists in Gili Trawangan at the pre-, during-, and post-travel stages. This research also looks into the viability of Gili Trawangan as a small island destination. Methodology: This study employs a qualitative descriptive approach, with data gathered through questionnaires, in-depth interviews, and literary techniques. The questionnaire was distributed in May and June, with 100 millennial generation tourists on Gili Trawangan, both international and domestic, serving as respondents. Result: According to the findings of this study, Gili Trawangan is one of the small island destinations that offers tourism-related products such as water tourism attraction, accessibility, ancillary service, and tourist activity. On the demand side, millennial tourists who visit this island are productive generations who come from various large cities in Indonesia or abroad. They are considered a digital generation due to their reliance on smartphones and social media in all aspects of daily life, including work, entertainment, and travel. As a result, millennial tourists' travel decisions are heavily influenced by digital information such as social media status and digital advertisements. Although there is almost no significant difference in the travel behavior of the two types of tourists in general. However, there are some basic differences caused by socio-cultural differences and economic conditions. Implication/Applications: This research is useful as a reference for tourism industry stakeholders on the island of Gili Trawangan to comprehensively understand the characteristics of millennial generation tourists. Theoretically, the results of this study can also enrich the existing information related to the behavior of millennial tourists, especially those who visit small island destinations. The Originality of the Study: The small sample size and short questionnaire distribution period were two of the study's limitations. As a result, future research will be able to examine other island tourist destinations with better numbers and an even distribution of vacation sessions.