Commentary

Millennials Need To Escape

We know the following truths about Millennials: They are the most highly educated generation. They are digitally savvy. They work to live.

So Millennials use their precious vacation days to, literally, get away. According to the third wave of the Hispanic Millennial Project, “escape” is the top reason all Millennials choose as a form of entertainment. Movies, television shows, gaming, etc., all must offer a chance to get away. The concept of “escape” indexed highest for non-Hispanic white Millennials at 25% and Hispanic Millennials at 19% followed by 15% for both Asian and African-American Millennials.

Globally, there are some interesting trends when it comes to Millennials and travel. A recent report by Topdeck Travel — a group travel provider for 18 to 30-year-olds — revealed some interesting ways that Millennials are embracing escape through travel. Out of the 31,000 people surveyed from 134 different countries, 88% of them traveled overseas between one and three times a year. Another interesting phenomenon is that 30% had traveled solo. The top destinations were Europe, North America and Australia/New Zealand.

advertisement

advertisement

Of those surveyed, 86% said they want to experience a new culture. They wanted to completely immerse themselves in the trip, living where the locals live, eating where they eat. It is evidenced in the growth of services like Airbnb and Home Away.

Millennials also want to check destinations off their bucket lists, according to 75% of the respondents. They want to say they’ve been to Europe, South America, North America, Oceania, Asia, Africa and the Middle East, in that order.

They also want to eat. According to the Millennials surveyed, 67% said eating is what they want to do when traveling. If you’re going to immerse yourself in the local culture, what is more immersive than the fare the locals eat? This is a similar finding from the Hispanic Millennial Project that all Millennials are eager to try other cuisine and are daring in their combinations.

It will be interesting to focus on Hispanic Millennial travel as this group equates travel to the American Dream and a strong indicator of success. Will they be able to balance that with the other key element of the American Dream: Owning a home? This is the generation that can pull it off.

Next story loading loading..