There was a time when travel either involved a lengthy excursion to a far-off place or an inclusive package holiday closer to home. It was a time to get away from the office, recharge the batteries and, if you were lucky, to leave the kids at home.
But travel isn’t so simple now, largely thanks to a new type of traveller: the millennial. Born between the early eighties and the late nineties, millennials now comprise the biggest generational group of travellers in the world. According to an estimate by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), in 2012 the youth travel market amounted to $182bn – larger than the GDP of New Zealand – and it’s set to rise.
The UNWTO expects youth tourism trips to increase from around 200m per year at present to 300m by 2020. Within five to 10 years, according to the Boston Consulting Group, millennials will dominate the travel market as they reach their peak years for spending, earning and travelling. In 2013, millennials took 35% of all business flights, and by 2025 the figure will rise to 54%. They will account for the largest segment of the market for years after that.
