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The State of Gen Z & Young Millennial Travel
We surveyed 1,000+ 18–35 year olds about the state of travel, trends, and their booking decisions. Here's what they had to say.
Gen Z and younger Millennial travelers (ages 18-35) located in the United States and Canada are two generations linked by a passion for international travel—sharing similar concerns around affordability, sustainability and even the current state of politics driving international wanderlust. Today’s young adults still suffer from epic levels of loneliness, even when traveling the world, and they look to human connections as an antidote. The tourism and hospitality industry is also working to cater to this increasingly sophisticated young adult consumer who’s eager to experience cultures other than their own and do so in a more responsible way than previous generations.
EF Ultimate Break releases its first study, “The State of Gen Z and Young Millennial Travel.” The first installment of this bi-annual study from EF Ultimate Break intends to better understand the motivations of young adults who are making international travel a priority in their lives. The research covers a range of travel-related topics, including a series of socioeconomic issues, events (like winter or spring travel), and other trends that are influencing young adults and their booking decisions.
EF Ultimate Break is a leader in guided, experiential travel for Gen Z and Millennial travelers. In September, 2024, the tour operator worked with Qualtrics to survey a representative sample of more than 1,000 U.S.-and-Canadian-based, 18-35-year-old consumers who expressed interest in near-term travel outside their home country.
Key findings include:
- Travel affordability in a time of consumer inflation is a meaningful concern for young adults, as travel can become the first casualty of a young adult’s disposable income during a time of higher costs. Gen Z and Millennial travelers report, however, they would rather go into debt by paying for their next vacation with high-interest credit cards vs. giving up travel entirely.
- Baby Boomers and Generation X might talk a good game around sustainability, but when it comes to travel booking decisions, Gen Z and Millennial travelers appear to be willing to put their money where their values are when making more responsible travel choices—even it costs more.
- Loneliness continues to plague young adults (even when traveling). Women are more likely (vs. men) to turn to travel as an antidote to stave off loneliness. The human connection that comes from meeting others in a group travel setting or locals in-destination seems to be just the thing that cures all that ails.
- The very nature of travel might be changing, and the industry should listen. Gen Z and Millennial travelers have increasingly positive views on shared accommodations, like hostels, to help save money when traveling internationally and regarding overall quality. And, while these cohorts love to party, sober activities during Spring Break are increasingly growing in popularity. International travel during winter break (including New Year’s) continues to grow in popularity for young adults from the U.S. and Canada, too.
- Nearly 69% of young adults continue to use DIY online travel companies like Expedia or Booking, or traditional travel agents, to book their solo or friends/family travel, with almost 30% opting to book via group tour operators like EF Ultimate Break.
- Finally, Latin America (including Mexico/the Caribbean, Central and South America) have topped demand interest over Western Europe and Asia when it comes to the bucket lists of Gen Z and Millennials.
The EF Ultimate Break report will offer a semi-annual look into the travel mindsets of Gen Z and Millennial consumers. Interested in learning more about GenZ or Millennial traveler trends? Let us know! We’ll review our booking and search data, looking for answers...or we’ll ask the million+ 18–35-year-old travelers who engage our brand online.
Affordability
As political consultant James Carville once said, “It’s the economy, stupid!”
Or at least it’s inflation.
There is no doubt that increased travel costs are competing for the disposable income of Gen Z and Millennial travelers. 72% of these young adult travelers either somewhat or strongly agree with the statement that “the cost of travel is too high.” With college loans coming due, the increased costs of groceries, rent, etc., it isn’t shocking that when push comes to shove, travel is the #1 area Gen Z and Millennial travelers will cut back on to live within their means.
Despite their negative sentiments around increased travel costs, Gen Z and Millennials still say they are willing to spend sizable portions of their personal budgets to travel abroad.
When asked: “How much money are you willing to spend on your next international vacation, including the cost of airfare, lodging, excursions and meals?” young adults answered the following (in top 5 ranked order)
5. Less than $1,000 USD (9%)
4. Tied: Between $1,000 - $1,999 USD and between $5,000 - $5,999 USD (14%)
3. Between $4,000 - $4,999 USD (15%)
2. Between $3,000 - $3,999 USD (16%)
1. Between $2,000 - $2,999 USD (21%)
Affordability be damned?
Despite concerns around the high cost of taking a vacation, the data also suggests the intent to travel internationally remains exceptionally high. More than half of young adults surveyed said they intended to travel internationally more in the next 24 months than they did in the past 2 years (53%), with men (60%) having stronger travel intent than women (47%), a +13 point difference! 40% of young adults expect they will travel as much as they did in the next 24 months as they did in the last two years. And only 7% responded they intended to travel less.
So what gives?
The study seems to suggest young adults are willing to go into debt in order to keep their travel lives active. Nearly half of young adults surveyed (47%) said they will continue to travel, even go into debt by paying for their trip with higher interest rate credit cards (VISA, MasterCard, etc) or a buy now, pay later service like (Affirm, Klarna, etc).
When asked about their preference for international travel, the order was:
- Using savings to pay for the trip in full
- Charging it on my credit card
- Using my debit card to take money directly out of my bank account
- Using a buy now, pay later service like Affirm, Klarna or Paypal Pay Later
Oddly at 5—and last on the list of payment preferences—was EF Ultimate Break’s popular model of paying a small down payment ($150) to secure a booking on a guided tour and then making interest-free monthly payments to help travelers manage travel costs.
Sustainability
Sustainability and responsible tourism have long been buzzwords and “catch-all” phrases in the travel and hospitality industry, but times might be changing (for the betterment of the planet). More than half of Gen Z and Millennial travelers (56%) appear to be willing to spend their money to align with their values when it comes to booking more sustainable travel choices, with men (+12 pts) more likely than women to pay for a more sustainable travel option even if it costs more than the non-sustainable alternative, with men (+12 pts) more likely than women to pay for a more sustainable travel option even if it costs more than the non-sustainable alternative.
By definition, young adults look at travel sustainability in a multi-faceted way:
- Nearly 6 in 10 travelers saying that low carbon or carbon neutral options are somewhat or very important (59%).
- More than 7 in 10 of young adults say using of local businesses is somewhat or very important (73%); having strong animal welfare policies are somewhat or very important (75%); and overtourism should be a consideration (72%) when booking travel.
- Additionally, travel design should include electric vehicles or public transport (67%) and consider climate change and local temperatures (73%) when planning international travel.
By definition, young adults look at travel sustainability in a multi-faceted way:
- Nearly 6 in 10 travelers saying that low carbon or carbon neutral options are somewhat or very important (59%).
- More than 7 in 10 of young adults say using of local businesses is somewhat or very important (73%); having strong animal welfare policies are somewhat or very important (75%); and overtourism should be a consideration (72%) when booking travel.
- Additionally, travel design should include electric vehicles or public transport (67%) and consider climate change and local temperatures (73%) when planning international travel.
American Escapism
Wanna get away (from politics)? American escapism is alive and well this election season.
Young adults across North America (and across all ideological spectrums) have had it with all the political noise in the United States and Canada. 62% of young adults ages 18-35 said thy were fed up with politics in their home country (where they reside) and dream of visiting or living in another country outside their own. 28% of young adults said they disagreed with this statement and 10% had no opinion.
59% of young adult travelers romanticize that being in another country is better than being in their own. And, when traveling internationally, 37% said they wanted to meet a diverse group of people (inclusive of persons with differing political ideologies, so they can “learn from one another.”)
Only 31% of young adults said travel is for relaxing, adding they didn’t want to talk about politics or religion or anything remotely controversial when on vacation.
Only 19% of young adults said that wanted to travel with others who shared their same political ideologies; and a significant minority of GenZ and younger Millennials (8%) said that they look to visit international destinations that are more aligned with their own political or ideological beliefs.
Are Remote Work and Bleisure Travel Still a “Thing”?
So many of us did the remote work thing (and not from our home address) during the pandemic. When employees around the world went remote during the Covid-19 pandemic, many of us decided to blend travel and work like never before. Maybe we stole away a couple of days with a blurred Zoom screen outside the country while we worked U.S. business hours. When the pandemic travel bans ended, maybe we tacked on a couple of days onto a business trip to turn remote work more into pleasure. In a fully remote workforce, there were indeed many travel-related benefits to a job that didn’t tie us to one location.
But as the world got back to normal, and many were “ordered” to return to an office, is remote work and bleisure travel still a thing?
In the last 24 months, at least, nearly 6 in 10 Gen Z and Millennial survey respondents (58%) have either worked from a remote location (other than their home), or extended a business trip to remotely work from that destination.
More than 4 in 10 Gen Z and Millennial survey respondents did say they were traveling less because they had to be in an office now (41%)—but on the good news front, 56% of respondents said they were still traveling today as much as they were in the last two years.
41% of Gen Z and Millennial survey respondents admit they are still secretly working from a remote location other than their home, and 28% reported extended business trips in a destination where they blended work and play. Responsibly, 45% of respondents said that they did extend their business travel but took paid time off to enjoy their vacation.
Loneliness
In 2023, the United States Surgeon General, Dr Vivek Murthy, famously declared that the loneliness epidemic was on par with tobacco use as a serious public health concern. The antidote, Dr. Murthy declared, was “human connection.”
And while travel has been famously described as a key solution to cure all that ails, EF Ultimate Break found that young adults often felt bouts of loneliness even when traveling the world (46%). Men (51%) admitted being lonelier when traveling over women (42%). Women said they would be more likely to turn to travel to combat loneliness than men. Men said they preferred playing videos games online (#1 choice) and reading a book (#2 choice) before considering travel (#3 choice).
Nearly 9 in 10 young adults (89%) said that the idea of meeting with and connecting with fellow travelers on a group tour gives them hope that they might feel less lonely when traveling, with 83% saying meeting people from other cultures (e.g., meeting indigenous people or residents of a destination you are traveling to) was appealing to them.
And while older consumers booking solo travel on tour operators tend to skew in favor of women, Gen Z and Millennial men (76%) more than women (70%) expressed interest in traveling solo.
“Early” Winter Break
Early Winter Break—EF Ultimate Break is officially coining the name of this increasingly popular time for international travel, especially with young adults. From late November (around the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday) into early January (just as annual resolutions are locked in), more Gen Z and Millennials are traveling than ever before.
- 78% of young adults said they travel (other than to see family) during Early Winter Break.
- Nearly 8 in 10 (79%) expressed interest in traveling outside the United States and Canada for New Year’s, with nearly 1 in 4 young 18-35-year-old adults (23%) wanting to be in Western Europe for the turn-of-the-year celebrations.
- Destinations-in-demand during this period include:
- Western Europe
- Asia tied with Mexico and the Caribbean
- Central and South America and Eastern Europe tied)
- The Pacific Islands (Bali, Fiji)
- Africa
- The Middle East tied with Australia/New Zealand.
Sober Spring Break?
Is the party (that once was Spring Break) over? Maybe…at least for many university-aged students. Nearly seven in ten 18–22-year-olds (68%) said that they were looking for sober activities during Spring Break (a 9+ pt increase over adults 23-35).
The most valued attribute of Spring Break travel for young adults ages18-35 (also consistent for ages 18-22) is the opportunity to learn about the people, place and cultures they intended to visit. Second, relaxation time by the pool or beachside was a valued activity followed by 3) meeting new people, 4) blending social activities and culture, 5) volunteering and 6) outright partying (last on the list).
Booking Influences and Trends
So, what’s driving travel bookings for young adults ages 18-35? It’s not all Tik Tok videos, to be sure. The following percentages of Gen Z and Millennial travelers agreed or “strongly agreed” with the following influences:
- Recommendations from Friends or Families: 66%
- Online reviews (e.g., Google, Tripadvisor): 65%
- General word-of-mouth (from people I trust): 63%
- Travel articles in mass media: 56%
- Travel destinations on TV shows: 54%
- Social Media: 54%
Diving into the data, men’s travel booking decisions were more influenced by social media than women: 60% vs. 48%. Nearly 69% of young adults continue to use DIY online travel companies like Expedia or Booking, or traditional travel agents, to book their solo or friends/family travel, with nearly 3 in 10 opting to book via group tour operators like EF Ultimate Break.
Destination Trends
Western Europe continues to lead travel intent across the board. But Latin America (including Mexico, Central and South America) and Asia (Thailand, Japan, South Korea) continue to be destinations that demonstrate significant levels of young adult travel interest.
When asked “Which of the following international destinations would you like to visit within the next five years?” the following destinations ranked:
- Western Europe (Spain, France, Ireland, Germany, etc.)
- Asia (Thailand, Japan, South Korea)
- Mexico and/or the Caribbean
- Specifically, the United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales, etc.)
- Eastern Europe (Croatia, Greece, Poland, Türkiye)
- Central America (Costa Rica, Panama, etc.)
- South America (Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Peru, etc.)
- Pacific Region (Australia, New Zealand, Bali, Fiji, etc.)
- Africa (Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania, etc.)
- The Middle East (Egypt, Jordan, etc.)
Traveler Satisfaction and Trends
75% of Gen Z and Millennial travelers have had a generally positive view of their most recent international travel experience.
Some factors young adults consider when booking travel to international destinations:
- Safety: 87% of travelers said their personal safety was a top consideration when booking international travel.
- Cost and budget: Travel affordability, as mentioned earlier, continues to dominate international travel considerations, with more than 8 in 10 travelers (83%) saying price was a top consideration.
- Local temperatures: When it comes to climate change, nearly 8 in 10 (77%) reported that temperature in a locale influenced their booking decision, driving the wave of “coolcation” tours companies like EF Ultimate Break now offer in Northern Europe, inclusive of Ireland, Scotland and Scandinavia.
- Wifi and cellular signal: 75% of young adults just want a good wifi and/or cellular signal when considering where they will travel.
While traveling to an international destination, the following are the top ten sentiments that ranked:
I like to travel to a destination I have never been to before.
I like to visit a destination where I can relax.
I like to visit a destination where I can learn something about the people, history and culture.
I like to visit a destination I can afford.
I like to visit a destination where I can do something active or adventurous (hiking, biking, kayaking, etc.)
I like to visit a destination where I can view wildlife or immerse myself in nature.
I like to visit a specific destination based on an event like a concert, festival or holiday.
I like to visit a destination to learn or practice a new language.
I like to visit a destination where I have been before.
I like to be the first in my family or friend group to visit a specific destination.
Honorable mention: I like to visit a destination to watch a sporting event, (e.g. London to see a Chelsea football match at Stamford Bridge).
This isn’t your parent’s hostel.
In terms of where they stay, shared accommodations or hostels continue to be popular, with nearly half of Gen Z and Millennial travelers (48%) having a positive view of the experience. 18-25-year-olds (49%) had a 2pt+ more of a positive feeling towards hostels over 26-35-year-olds (47%).
75% of Gen Z and Millennial travelers surveyed had stayed in shared accommodations or hostels, with 43% reporting stays within the last 5 years.
Driving the hostel booking? 44% of Gen Z and Millennial travelers choose to book shared accommodations to save money, with 35% preferring shared accommodations regardless of price. Only 2 in 10 (21%) young adults said they would never book a shared accommodation or hostel.
Why are nearly 3 in 10 Gen Z and Millennial travelers booking through a group tour operator?
A minority of Gen Z and Millennial travelers (18%) did say they felt tours were too busy and didn’t leave enough time for relaxation, but it remains equally true that young adults are turning to guided, group travel for a wide variety of reasons (and more than ever before). The #1 reason why young adult travelers want to book with a tour operator like EF Ultimate Break is having a knowledgeable tour director that can teach them about the people, history and cultures of the destinations they are visiting. Other reasons, in ranked order, include:
- I am more likely to learning something new about a destination while on a group tour.
- I like the idea of traveling with others for social reasons.
- I like the idea of traveling with others for safety reasons.
- I like the idea of meeting on my tour group who might become friends later.
- Traveling as a group, supported by a well-known tour operators, makes me feel safer when traveling internationally.
- I like that tour operators plan everything and make it easy to travel abroad.
Methodology and Media Contacts
This survey was sponsored by EF Ultimate Break and questions were co-developed and directly fielded by Qualtrics Research. A representative sample size of more than 1,000 United States and Canadian respondents, ages 18-35 years old, participated in the survey in September 2024.
For media, researchers or other interested parties interested in learning more about this study, please reach email Brian Hoyt, Vice President of Public Relations and Industry Relations, EF World Journeys, [email protected].