the big issue
Touring has changed dramatically over the past few years, and millennials – the generation that prizes experiences over possessions, cultural travel over clubbing holidays – have become one of its biggest driving forces. So what are operators doing to tap into the trend? We’ve VSRNHQ WR WKH H[SHUWV WR क़QG RXW
SUSTAINABLE ADVENTURES ौH GHVLUH IRU HWKLFDO UHVSRQVLEOH WUDYHO might not be new, but millennials have taken it up a notch over the past few years, and change is afoot. A report published earlier this year by STA Travel found 90% of those surveyed would consider volunteering on their travels, while a recent YouGov poll found more than a third of 16 to 24-year-olds travelled primarily to experience local communities. “Young people are more socially and
economically aware now than 10 to 15 years ago, largely thanks to social media and programmes like Planet Earth,” says Ben Fahey, manager of STA Travel’s store in Islington, London. “Millennials want to do something meaningful and experience something unique.” Operators have responded. Contiki
has added more culturally immersive, sustainable projects, such as a visit to the Al Amir Women’s Cooperative in Amman on its new Israel and Jordan Uncovered trip. G Adventures has introduced several new G for Good projects on its 18-to- ौLUW\VRPHWKLQJV WULSV LQFOXGLQJ D snorkelling excursion in the Great Barrier Reef to support a coral garden. ौH ODिHU FRPELQHV WKH VHDUFK IRU sustainable travel with another trend: the search for active and adventurous experiences. Some 31% of 18 to 39-year-
travelweekly.co.uk/atas
Young people are more socially and economically aware than 10 to 15 years ago, thanks to social media
olds recently polled by the operator said they wanted more demanding activities, with hiking at number one. Contiki has noted a similar trend, adding experiences such as sandboarding and marine safaris to its Africa 2020 programme in response.
SHORTER TRIPS One of the biggest changes is in duration, with shorter trips replacing the classic gap year, according to Charlie Burch, senior travel adviser at Gap 360. “We still get people working abroad and thus doing longer trips, but the average time on our trips has dropped overall,” he says. G Adventures has seen a similar trend,
and it’s just as true for pre-university travellers as for older millennials, according to Emily Mikus, brand manager IRU
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seen booking trends become very similar between pre and post-uni travellers, as tuition fees have increased – hence the VKH VD\V ौDW ە GHPDQG IRU VKRUWHU WULSV doesn’t mean they’re wanting to travel less – they’re travelling multiple times a year.” ौH RSHUDWRU KDV UHFRQਭJXUHG ORQJHU itineraries into bite-sized trips in response, creating multiple seven-day trips around the US, for example. Intrepid Travel has taken a similar
approach with its 18-29s brand, which ODXQFKHG ODVW -XO\ RਬHULQJ LWLQHUDULHV DV
VKRUW DV ਭYH GD\V ौLV PHDQV WUDYHOOHUV can build a trip to the length that’s right for them,” says Erica Kritikides, senior brand and product manager. It points to a growth in demand for
PRUH ਮH[LEOH LWLQHUDULHV IURP WKH OLNHV RI %XVDERXW ZKLFK RਬHUV D EDUH ERQHV KRS RQ KRS Rਬ VHUYLFH DQG 7RSGHFN Travel, whose Explorer trips provide more time in each place, combining the DXWRQRP\ RਬHUHG E\ LQGHSHQGHQW WUDYHO with the reassurance of a group.
TRENDING DESTINATIONS When it comes to destination, the classics are still going strong – Australia, New =HDODQG DQG ौDLODQG FDPH XS WUXPSV in STA’s report. More adventurous spots are on the rise,
however. Japan, Tanzania and Ecuador are among the agency’s fastest-growing destinations, while Fahey says Colombia, Peru and the Philippines are rising stars. Topdeck has noticed a trend towards
European destinations such as Croatia and the Greek islands, as well as lesser- known spots. “Looking to 2020, we think there will be a rise in popularity for India, Sri Lanka, Alaska, Mexico, Africa and VD\V $QQD )DZFHि JOREDO KHDG ە 7XUNH\ of marketing. “As travel becomes more accessible, people will go further than ever in search of new destinations and authentic experiences that perhaps their friends don’t already have on their ’gram.” In a market rife with concerns around
overtourism, that could be a blessing. But how operators strike the delicate balance between immersing clients in ‘new’ destinations and communities, while simultaneously protecting those places, is the issue they’ll have to address if they want to keep selling to millennials.
September 2019 17
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