A study has examined the wants and needs of the next generation of global travellers, Gen Z, and analysed how these link to their wider aspirations for life.
The research found that independence is important to those aged 16 to 24, as 34% of plan to travel on their own at least once in the next decade. A third (33%) prefer to be on their own in general when they travel, and 18% want to take a solo backpacking trip or gap year. Maybe due to the youthfulness of Gen Z, 46% feel that travelling with family requires them to moderate their behavior more than when they’re travelling solo. The plus side is that 42% indicated that travelling with family allows them to go on trips that they could not otherwise afford.
Among the insights generated by the Booking.com research is that just under a third (30%) hope this decade will see them study or live in a different country. This extends to 39% planning to visit at least three different continents over the next ten years. When it comes to what this youthful generation spends its money on, 65% ranked ‘travel and seeing the world’ as the most important, eclipsing investing in higher education or professional training, saving for retirement or saving for a down-payment on a property.
They may be young, but Gen Z is already planning long term. When it comes to bucket lists, 69% have a list of things to do or see before they die, and 32% plan to have checked at least five epic trips off the list in the next ten years. They are environmentally-conscious, and over half (54%) say that the environmental impact travelling has on destinations is an important factor to them when deciding where to travel, and 56% would want to stay in a green or eco-friendly accommodation. Over a third (37%) want to experience volunteering when travelling.
To examine the full results and see the regional differences in responses around the world, please see here.
