The tourist experience in the digital era: the case of Italian Millennials

The digital revolution is producing several economic and societal changes. The tourism sector, being characterized by products with a high content of information and intangible value, is one of the main industries involved in these changes, on both the supply and the demand side. The paper examines how digital technologies impact on tourists’ consumption experiences through the whole customer travel journey (planning, booking, experiencing, and sharing), by focusing on Millennials. On an empirical level, the research illustrates the tourist’s buying and consumption behavior of a sample of about 700 Italian consumers. The empirical research highlights that new technologies are used during all stages of the digital customer journey; most of respondents are experts in planning a travel through the digital technologies. The smartphone is the main device used by younger Millennials, while the computer is mainly used for the elder ones. Instagram and Facebook are the social media preferred by Millennials for sharing contents during and after the trip. The research study is focused on the center of Italy and the sample is not representative. Another limitation of the study is that the sample is made by student, they do not have secure jobs and mainly depend on their parent’s income. Practical implications emerge from this study specifically relating to attracting and retaining tourists, and to increasing their overall customer experience. The study contributes to deepen the knowledge of Millennials behavior as tourists.