If you are targeting travelers based solely on age, your strategy might be missing the mark.
Our recent survey data at Kansai International Airport (KIX) reveals that motivation, not age, is the true driver of the modern travel experience. Two distinct trends highlight this:
We found that Millennials are disproportionately motivated by "scent-based memories." They are seeking immersive, sensory-led experiences where the olfactory environment of a place is as important as the visual.
Conversely, older travelers are prioritizing "time-saving" infrastructure. They aren't avoiding traditional experiences; they are simply demanding that their access to them is seamless and frictionless.
Age is no longer a reliable proxy for travel style. A Millennial’s search for sensory depth and an older traveler’s demand for logistical efficiency are both modern responses to the travel experience, but they require entirely different policy and design approaches.
For destinations, this means we must move away from generic "target audience" personas based on date of birth and toward "motivational profiling."
Let’s discuss: How can we design experiences that satisfy both the desire for sensory immersion and the need for logistical efficiency?
Source: Visitor Survey: Needs and Expectations for AI in Japan, conducted at Kansai International Airport in September 2025 (n = 273), by Artyz Inc.
