The way in which we choose to travel has changed significantly over the past few years. Millennials are living in the moment and want it all. The majority can’t afford a mortgage so their money goes on travel and living life to the full. If it doesn’t look good on Instagram, it’s a no-go, and if you don’t Snapchat it, you basically weren’t there. However, we need to travel mindfully and respect the locals to be able to sustain this ‘go anywhere, anytime’ lifestyle. Here are three travel trends we can get on board with.
Little and often
Gone are the days of the two-week exodus to the Costa Del Sol. Who wants to spend their annual leave in one go and endure months tied to their desk until next year’s holiday comes around? Recent research revealed that ‘little and often’ is how millennials take their holidays. Budget flights and accommodation around the world have opened up a multitude of options for ticking off bucket lists quickly and efficiently. This, in theory, should ease the crowding in the traditional Brits abroad hotspots as we look to new and less crowded destinations. Why ever not opt for a weekend in Iceland in April, a hop over to France in June, a staycation in August (because who wants to share air space with packs of screaming kids?) followed by a ‘big’ five day holiday with pals in September (the best month of the year to go on holiday)? Oh, and don’t forget a cheeky Christmas market break in December. We want a bit of everything. Sue Us!
Gram it
If it’s not ‘grammable’, it’s not worth the schlep. Recent research by our client Superbreak recently found that one in three of us have booked to visit a destination after seeing it on Instagram. And it’s not just millennials who are led by their smart phones to destinations new – 16% of people aged 65 plus have also booked at least one holiday after seeing photos on the social media platform. Capturing an array of perfect pictures whilst away has become the ultimate must-do. Taking, editing and sharing of snaps on Instagram takes up an equivalent of two days 19 hours and 12 minutes of our annual leave allowance each year!
Mindful escapes
Perhaps a by-product of travel habits no. 1 and 2 (we blame the weather), tourist boards around Europe are dealing with a huge backlash from locals complaining that tourism is ruining their cities. Hotspots like Barcelona, Rome and Dubrovnik have seen anti-tourism marches taking place this week to protest against overcrowding, inflation and unruly visitors getting drunk and peeing in the street. Locals are (understandably) very angry; they can’t sleep for the Airbnb parties going on around them, they can’t afford their local café anymore and in the worst-case scenarios, some are being displaced as their apartments are sold off to build luxury tourist apartments. While speaking at the World Tourism Forum in Lucerne, Amsterdam’s head of marketing revealed that the city does not want more people to visit but they want to increase the quality of visitors – “we want people who are interested in the city, not who want it as a backdrop for a party”. Cue the need to channel a new wave of discreet, mindful tourism, whereby we still have fun, enjoy ourselves, but we respect the locals and their way of life and don’t act like total douche bags!