With a COVID vaccine now in place and borders set to gradually reopen, the new year will bring new travel trends to the forefront.
To determine the attitudes of its millennial and Gen Z audience towards travel in the new year, Topdeck Travel, the group travel provider for 18 – 30 somethings, has polled its database and 140k Instagram following on their next travel adventures. The following findings uncover what we can expect for youth travel next year.
Rebound travel
Topdeck Travel’s findings paint a positive picture of what we can expect for youth travel in 2021, with 93% of young adults polled stating that the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns have caused an increased desire among them to travel more post-pandemic.
Furthermore, in 2021 we can expect Gen Z and millennial travellers to plan more significant trips post-pandemic with 75% of respondents stating that they would be looking to take longer trips abroad once travel reopens.
Whilst it might be assumed that months spent in lockdown and an increased awareness of health caused by the pandemic would encourage travellers to stay closer to home in order to recharge, 81% of respondents stated that are looking to travel further afield when booking travel in 2021.
The findings show that Gen Z and millennials are resilient and are ready to bounce back from a disheartening year for travel. With a need to seek out new adventures and a desire to make months of gloom better, 83% of Topdeck Travel’s database of young adults stated that they would be looking to travel again next year.
A majority of respondents (38%) will be looking to travel as soon as travel restrictions are lifted, with 18% stating that they are planning to travel in the months of July – September, 14% in the months of April – June and 10% in the months of October – December 2021.
Bucket list destinations
Whilst it is likely that young travellers will be more mindful when it comes to travel destinations next year, it appears that a desire to visit bucket list destinations is still on the cards for these travellers in 2021.
Although classic European stops such as Greece and Italy remained popular in Topdeck Travel’s sentiment polls, far-flung and bucket list destinations such as Japan, Canada, Africa, New Zealand and the USA were ranked highly as attractive propositions for travellers next year.
Cultural exploration and adventure
For many young travellers, the pent-up demand to seize the day caused by a year of government restrictions will have encouraged a greater need to do and see more. Topdeck Travel’s recent polling also proved this to be the case with cultural explorations and adventures topping the list of desired travel experiences for next year – as opposed to sun and relaxation.
It appears that many young travellers are looking for more than relaxation when it comes to travel in 2021. A majority of Topdeck’s customers cited the mix of skiing and cultural offering that Japan provides as a reason for wanting to visit the destination next year. Similarly, destinations such as Canada, Africa and New Zealand offer a great deal of outdoor excursions and explorative activities.
Charles Knowlton, Global General Manager at Topdeck Travel said: “Many young travellers will be pleased to see the end of 2020, a year like no other, that has seen travel plans ruined due to government restrictions.
“While it will take some time for the world to recover, signs do point towards travel being restored again once it reopens next year. It is great to see from our findings that travellers have not lost faith in exploring the world and that many cannot wait to book their next bucket list adventure to far-flung destinations such as Japan, Canada, Africa and New Zealand.”
