Mumbai,
25
July
2019
|
15:44
Europe/Amsterdam

From ambitious bucket lists to travel itineraries packed with adventure, Gen Z travellers can’t wait to experience the world

Gen Z prioritizes travel spend over material possessions with 68% of them think that travel is always worth spending money on

Key findings:
  • 82% of Gen Z travellers are excited for all the places they’ll travel to in the future, (40%) plan to have visited at least three different continents over the next ten years
  • Over two thirds (74%) of Gen Z have already compiled a travel bucket list, with this figure rising to 82% across Gen Z females
  • 52% GenZ women plan to have travelled alone at least once over the next decade, compared to 26% Gen Z men
  • A third (33%) of Gen Z plan to have checked at least five epic trips off their bucket list in the next ten years
  • 79% say the opportunity to travel for work is important when selecting a job
  • Gen Z are most likely to travel to the North (52%), South (48%) and Northeast India (34%)

Booking.com, the digital travel leader connecting travellers with the widest choice of unique places to stay, has conducted the most comprehensive research into the wants and needs of the next generation of Indian travellers - Gen Z. The research highlights how this is the generation most excited and optimistic about their future travel and they’re ready to go at it alone.

 Ambitious Adventurers

While many Gen Zers have only just come of age they most certainly already know what they want when it comes to their travel plans: 

  • Gen Z have an optimistic outlook on travel, with 82% excited for all the places they’ll travel to in the future
  • Two in five (40%) plan to have visited at least three different continents over the next ten years and 31% intend to have studied or lived in a different country (37% female vs. 22% male)
  • Gen Z is a daring bunch with 75% wanting an adventure experience from their travels, such as paragliding or bungee jumping and 76% planning on visiting or trekking to an extreme location
  • Gen Z is also the generation most likely to enhance their skills by learning something new while travelling in the next ten years (33%)
  • And it’s not just new skills they’ll be looking to learn, for 76% of Gen Z travelling in their own country helps them to learn and discover more about themselves

Ready to go Solo

Many young travellers are already stepping out into the world with their family, with over half (57%) of Gen Z travellers indicating that they mainly do it because it allows them to go on trips that they would not otherwise have the funds for. But as Gen Z looks to fly the nest, they’re keen to do it alone.

  • Independence is a priority for this generation. Over the next ten years, three in ten (43%) plan to have traveled on their own at least once (52% women vs. 29% men)
  • Gen Z’s passion to ‘fly solo’ is further revealed with two in five (40%) saying they prefer to be alone when they travel (more so than all other age demographics) and 19% wanting to take a solo backpacking trip / gap year

Already Champions of the Bucket List

Over two thirds (74%) of Gen Z have already compiled a travel bucket list (a list of things to do or see before they die), with this figure rising to 82% across Gen Z females (vs. 61% men).

Reasons for having a travel bucket list are varied:

  • Daydreamers: Over a third (34%) say it’s because they enjoy thinking about all the places that they’re going to travel to in their life
  • A never-ending list: Over one quarter (29%) say they get satisfaction from travelling to places on their bucket list as soon as possible so they can begin adding more new places. In fact, a third (33%) of Gen Z plan to have checked at least five epic trips off their bucket list in the next ten years
  • Keeping on top of great destinations: Over one quarter (28%) say that having a bucket list helps them keep track of amazing places to travel to that they’ve never heard of before
  • Inspired by Insta: 69% have been inspired to make their own adventures by seeing influencers’ trips online

Having a travel bucket list doesn’t just reveal an intention to travel to new places, it also provides a deeper insight on the generation’s broader travel behaviors. For the 26% of Gen Z without a bucket list, the reasons also vary:

  • 15% feel their preferences change too frequently which is bound to affect their travel destinations
  • Almost one-fifth (18%) say it’s because they opt to travel impulsively and don’t plan in advance
  • Surprisingly though Gen Z are the least likely of all age demographics to say they don’t have a bucket list because they like to travel impulsively
  • In fact, of the 42% of Baby Boomers (those 55+) who don’t have a bucket list, 24% say they prefer to travel impulsively – the highest of all generations surveyed. Millennials (those aged 25-39) also travel more impulsively than Gen Z (27%).

Travel vs. Life Goals

68% Gen Zers think that travel is always worth investing in. And when it comes to prioritization, “travel and seeing the world” ranked as most important to this generation when thinking about how they spend their money (81%). Investing in education/professional training came a close second and interestingly, more material possessions ranked lowest. 

What Gen Z plans to spend their money over the next 5 years

% of global Gen Z travellers

% of Indian Gen Z travellers

Travelling and seeing the world

65%

81%

Investing in higher education / professional training

60%

76% 

Saving for a down payment on a house / property

60%

75%

Spending money on experiences or products that are environmentally friendly

46%

74% 

Saving for retirement

51%

69%

Saving for wedding/civil partnership

42%

62% 

Buying new tech

33%

51% 

Buying designer clothes/shoes/accessories

33%

51%

 Unpacking Gen Z priorities

When questioned about how they’d prioritize spending their money, travel came out top in five out of seven choices for Gen Z, especially when compared to material possessions or more fleeting experiences. Travel ranked above the likes of furniture and homewares, clothes and fashion, tech and gadgets, eating at restaurants and spa and beauty treatments. 

When thinking about how Gen Z would like to spend their money, this is how they would prioritize:

Travel (78%)

vs.

Spa / beauty treatments (22%)

Travel (77%)

vs.

Eating out at restaurants (23%)

Travel (69%)

vs.

Furniture / homewares (31%)

Travel (64%)

vs.

Clothes / fashion/shoes (36%)

Travel (60%)

vs.

Tech / gadgets (40%)

 Out of office: on 

Whether still contemplating their future vocation, or have just ventured into the workforce, the notion of a career is still pretty fresh, so its unsurprising that Gen Z rank getting a job as their most important life experience (86%). But with travel being such a passion point for this generation, prospective employers should take note, as 79% of Gen Z say the opportunity to travel for work is important when selecting a job and 78% say a job where they get to experience other cultures is attractive to them.

Commenting on the research, Ritu Mehrotra, Country Manager for India, Sri Lanka and Maldives at Booking.com said, “It is exciting to see this research reveal how the Gen Zers are a generation of determined travellers, having mapped out their future travel plans already. This first generation of digital natives are influenced by comfort and inspiration that technology brings to their travel which perfectly fits with our ambition to learn and deliver an even more seamless, connected trip experience. At Booking.com, we want people across demographics to travel without dependency, empowered by technology that enables seamless travel experiences.”

Notes to the Editor

*Research commissioned by Booking.com and independently conducted among a sample size of 21,807 respondents aged 16 or over (25% of whom were aged 16-24) in 29 markets (including 1,000 each from Australia, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, China, Japan, Brazil, India, US, UK; and 600 each from Russia, Indonesia, Colombia, South Korea, New Zealand, Thailand, Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Hong Kong, Croatia, Taiwan, Mexico, Netherlands, Sweden, Singapore and Israel). Fieldwork was undertaken between 1 and 16 May 2019. The survey was carried out online. All research and recruitment, unless otherwise stated, was carried out by Vitreous World, with analysis by Ketchum Analytics.