DITCH THE TRAVEL CLICHÉS, SAYS NEW GEN Z SURVEY

With the one-year anniversary of the national lockout approaching, a new study from Topdeck Travel shows that once restrictions are removed, young Britons want to change how they travel. The past year has undoubtedly been a time for reflection after months spent at home, and as we get closer to being able to travel again, young people’s attitudes toward travel are likely to change as new opportunities arise.as new post-covid behaviours start to emerge.

With the summer vacation season approaching, the research shows that Gen Z is looking to change up how they post about their next trip on social media. 42 percent of young people said that cliché captions like “catch flights, not thoughts” and “my Monday is better than yours” were the worst to share on social media and that they will not do so again on their next trip.

‘popular’ tourist travel poses (35%) like the Leaning Tower of Pisa pose, and posting selfies that show off tan lines (26%) also topped the list of biggest travel pet hates, with overly loving couple snaps (25%), posting images of the hotel room (23%) and posting photos jumping on the beach (23%) following closely behind.

With the pandemic having wreaked havoc on the lives of young Britons, 39% said they can’t wait to log off from Zoom calls until the restrictions are lifted. When life comes out of lockdown, Gen Z would gladly say goodbye to increased screen time (36 percent), eating in (23 percent), and being in close proximity to the fridge – which means endless snacking! – (20 percent).

Topdeck Travel, a youth travel company, commissioned the study to learn more about how the pandemic has forced Generation Z to rethink their expectations when it comes to travel. According to the results, young travellers are optimistic, with 93 percent already planning their next trip

New travel experiences are obviously high on the list of goals for today’s young Britons. With bars and restaurants closed for most of the previous year, young people are itching to get back out there, with nearly one-third (31%) saying they didn’t explore enough of the destination’s nightlife and 30% saying they didn’t learn enough.  about local cultures and traditions. Experiencing nature and wildlife (29%), and making friends with fellow travellers (28%) also featured high on the list of young people’s travel plans post lockdown. 

Charles Knowlton, Global General Manager at Topdeck Travel, comments: ‘It has been a disheartening year for young people , but our findings show that they are resilient and are ready to bounce back with new travel experiences.

Our study has found that Gen Z is fed up with the polished Insta-worthy experiences that we’ve become over-exposed to today. Instead, they seek authentic travel experiences that liberate them from the rules of normal life, once travel restrictions are lifted. We’ve seen from our findings that after a year in lockdown, young travellers are keen to explore more of what a destination has to offer when they travel. This includes exploring more of the local cultures, experiencing the nature and wildlife and making friends with fellow travellers. 

At Topdeck, we inspire young travellers to move away from generic imitative ‘copy and paste’ experiences, in a shift towards travel that ‘feels real’. We cannot wait to get back to helping our customers experience refreshing, authentic and life-changing discoveries. With demand sure to increase for the summer, we’d recommend booking early and always looking for flexible travel policies in case anything changes.’

To browse Topdeck Travel’s group tour offering and to make a booking for 2021 head to: https://www.topdeck.travel/