Loving time, being solo & Taylor Swift

Time is worth more than money.

Travelling solo but being social.

Sustainability counts, but it must be at an affordable price.

And Taylor Swift would be the ideal travel companion.

The attitudes of young travellers are laid bare in the Contiki touring company’s newly released Voice Of A Generation survey.

It focuses on Generation Z (born between 1997 and 2012) and Millennials (born between 1981 and 1996).

And this year’s report states:

SOLO BUT SOCIAL

+ 74 per cent of respondents have said they are open to group solo travel or have already done it.

“Solo travel has been all the rage for years and years. Everybody wants to embark on a voyage of self-discovery, but going at it completely alone can be a little daunting. Contiki blends solo travel with a pack of others to meet new people and enjoy new experiences together — away from your usual crowd.”

TIME IS GREATER THAN MONEY

+ 94 per cent of Contiki travellers in Australia said they cared about making sustainable travel choices, with 44 per cent saying they’d make these decisions as long as it didn’t break the bank.

“Gen Z and Millennial travellers are prioritising vacation time and seeing the world over monetary gain — and 59 per cent of respondents said they would give up a raise in exchange for more annual leave.”

ABOUT THE SURVEY

Contiki has provided travel for 18 to 35-year-olds since 1962, and a spokesperson explains the Voice Of A Generation survey’s mission: “To understand a generation that’s often misunderstood and misrepresented.

“Questions covered everything from nostalgic travel to sustainability, celebrity travel companions to digital detoxing.

“More than 2000 18 to 35-year-olds took part.”

Asked what inspires them to go to particular places, 68 per cent said Instagram, 57 per cent took friends’ advice, and 56 per cent followed TikTok.

But 82 per cent said they had already taken, or would seriously consider taking, a nostalgic trip to a destination they visited as a child.

The survey reveals 23 per cent of the Gen Zs and Millennials surveyed said they would miss a trip to a “dream destination” to reduce overtourism.

And nearly 60 per cent of young Aussie respondents said sustainability was important to them, as long as it didn’t break the bank.

“This generation cares about travelling consciously, but cost still plays a big role,” says Toni Ambler, chief customer officer at Contiki.

“They’re looking for ways to make sustainability work within real-life travel habits, and that’s where we can help take the pressure off planning and add to the adventure.”

And which celebrity would they most like to travel with?

Taylor Swift came out on top.