The World Youth Student and Educational (WYSE) Travel Confederation announces the publication of results from its fifth global study of youth and student travel, New Horizons 5: A global study of the youth and student traveller.

New Horizons is the only recurring global survey of the youth (under age 30) travel segment. The aim of the study is to provide a global overview of the youth and student travel market, which WYSE Travel Confederation and UN Tourism have estimated to account for 23% of international arrivals or more than 296 million international arrivals in 2023.

Among many questions about young travellers, the New Horizons study provides a global view of travellers aged 30 and younger, including:

• Who travels, where, why, and how
• How international trips are planned and booked
• How much is spent and on what

New Horizons 5 identifies opportunities in the marketplace, outlines tips for better understanding young travellers and reveals trends in international youth travel since the study began in 2002.

“Catering to the preferences of Generation Z on the environment, personal health, wellness and safety, and digital ease is key for professionals currently in the youth travel space,” said David Chapman, Director General of WYSE Travel Confederation. “Visas, sustainability and affordability will be critical issues for the travel industry at large to advance in ways that are mutually beneficial to all stakeholders.”

New Horizons 5 discovered that on average the youth and student traveller spent just under EUR 3,000 for their last main international trip. WYSE Travel Confederation estimates that on average 69% of the total international youth trip cost is spent in destination. The 2023 study also revealed that fewer youth travelled alone than in 2017 and the average international youth trip duration had shortened to 41 days from 52 days.

Results of the New Horizons 5 study are published in WYSE Travel Confederation’s report New Horizons 5: A global study of the youth and student traveller.

WYSE Travel Confederation is a global travel trade association for organisations specialised in the youth market. It is known for its international trade events connecting the most innovative and respected brands specialised in the youth and student travel market.

More information is available at www.wysetc.org

Media enquiries
WYSE Travel Confederation
+31 (0)20 421 2800

About New Horizons:

New Horizons: A global study of the youth and student traveller is the only recurring global survey of the international youth travel market. Since its first iteration in 2002, New Horizons has expanded in both scale and scope, becoming an essential tool for travel professionals to navigate the global youth travel marketplace. New Horizons provides a once-every-five-year overview of the global youth and student travel market and answer questions such as:

• Who travels, where, why, and how?
• How are trips planned and booked?
• How much is spent and on what?

The fifth edition of the New Horizons survey was conducted by WYSE Travel Confederation from 31 May 2023 to 11 August 2023 and includes more than 11,000 responses from 130 countries. New Horizons reports are available to members of WYSE Travel Confederation.

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.
• WYSE Travel Confederation was founded in 2006 through 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 foster cultural exchange and understanding and world peace.
• Providing international travel experiences to over 30 million youth and students each year, WYSE Travel Confederation’s professional community spans the global and includes 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 professionals specialised in youth, student and educational travel experiences, connecting key industry players with decision makers and government officials.
• WYSE Travel 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, the unique fast-changing needs of the youth market are at the forefront of its activities as it seeks to accelerate the development of youth travel.
• For more information, visit wysetc.org or follow WYSE Travel Confederation on LinkedIn.