Attracting Millennials and Gen Z with more than just free wifi and avocado toast
MEDIA RELEASE
Attracting Millennials and Gen Z with more than just free wifi and avocado toast
Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 6 March 2018
While global growth of youth travel seems certain, one factor remains critical for attracting more members of the Millennial and Z generations to a destination – and it’s not avocado toast or free wifi.
During 2018 ITB Berlin, WYSE Travel Confederation will present findings from the New Horizons IV survey of more than 57,000 young travellers globally. Conducted once every five years, New Horizons provides an overview of the youth travel market, which WYSE Travel Confederation and UNWTO have estimated to account for 23% of international arrivals annually.
New Horizons is the travel industry’s most comprehensive look at today’s young traveller and captures:
- How youth plan and book travel
- How much youth spend on travel
- Which activities youth participate in while in a destination
- The underlying motivations to travel
The survey found that the most important travel motivations for 18 to 35-year-olds relate to desires to experience destinations and their cultures and increase their self-knowledge. More traditional holiday motivations, such as relaxing, are less important to young travellers.
“Many destinations ask me how they can tap into the power of youth travel, how they can attract more Millennials or prepare for Gen Z travellers or even Alphas,” said David Chapman, Director General of the World Youth Student and Educational (WYSE) Travel Confederation.
“My answer to them is usually in the form of a question: Have you looked at your country’s policies around cultural exchange?”
On the Youth Travel Hall 4.1, Main Stage, WYSE Travel Confederation, along with a panel of experts in youth and student travel will discuss some of the findings of the New Horizons IV survey and how these translate to changes, challenges, and opportunities for destinations and various sectors of the youth travel industry in the coming years.
“More caution and consideration seem to be the trend for youth choosing a travel destination,” said David Chapman. “While political and social unrest are not stopping young people from travelling, issues of political and social nature have them thinking about where they are welcome.”
For media enquiries:
WYSE Travel Confederation
Tel: +31 (0)20 421 2800
Email: communications@wysetc.org
About New Horizons:
New Horizons is the only recurring global survey of the youth, student and educational travel market. The aim of the study is to provide an overview of the youth travel market, which WYSE Travel Confederation and UNWTO have estimated to account for 23% of international arrivals annually.
The study provides insight to travel agents, suppliers, destination marketers, policymakers, and other stakeholders of the global travel and tourism industry, offering a global perspective on trends of the under-30 travel market:
- Where do youth travellers come from and where have they travelled to?
- What are the main purposes and motivations for youth to travel?
- How do youth plan and book trips?
- How much do youth spend on trips?
- What activities do youth participate in while in a destination?
- How do youth visitors rate the cities they have visited?
Conducted by WYSE Travel Confederation once every five years, the New Horizons IV Survey attracted more than 57,000 responses from 188 countries and territories between June and November 2017.
WYSE Travel Confederation is a global membership association for the youth travel industry and known for its global travel trade events and research specifically on the youth and student travel market. More information is available at www.wysetc.org.
About WYSE Travel Confederation:
- The World Youth Student and Educational (WYSE) Travel Confederation is a global not-for-profit membership organisation dedicated to promoting and developing opportunities for the youth, student and educational travel industry.
- Founded in 2006 and created from the merger of the Federation of International Youth Travel organisations (FIYTO) and the International Student Travel Confederation (ISTC) – both formed after World War II to inspire young people through international travel and to help remove cultural barriers – the confederation brings together 60 years of youth travel expertise.
- Providing international travel experiences to over 30 million youth and students each year, WYSE Travel Confederation’s global community of over 600 members spans more than 120 countries from a diverse range of sectors.
- From adventure tour operators to au pair agencies, cultural exchange programmes to language schools, hop-on-hop-off buses to student insurance and youth hostels to volunteer programmes, WYSE Travel Confederation is the world’s most powerful network of youth and student travel professionals, connecting key industry players with decision makers and government officials.
- The Confederation is committed to understanding the ever-changing characteristics, motivations and needs of young travellers. By gathering, analysing and sharing important market intelligence with members, academics and government decision-makers, the unique fast-changing needs of the youth market is at the forefront of its activities as it seeks to accelerate the development of youth travel.
For more information, visit www.wysetc.org or follow the organisation on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.