Dream Destinations
A few areas of the world prove especially attractive for young adults traveling in groups, with Southeast Asia as one of the top locations. Adventure tour operators such as Intrepid Travel do not have to set an age limit to tours of this region, but many under 40 come anyway.
“Southeast Asia is by far our most popular destination with young adults,” said Michael Sadowski, public relations specialist for Intrepid Group. “Our first trip to Thailand was 26 years ago. Since then, it’s always been a top seller. Recently, we’re seeing a lot of interest from young adults to Morocco as well. It has incredible culture and a lower price point.”
Exotic destinations foreign to Western travelers stand out on many young adults’ bucket lists. This age group leans toward destinations like Southeast Asia and Morocco that combine cultural interest with affordability.
“A lot of our Budget Expeditions go to South America and Southeast Asia,” said Millett with Tucan Travel. “They are cheap areas of the world people want to travel to.”
South America’s Patagonia region and Peru especially have risen in demand for adventurous youth. Tucan Travel also reports high youth appeal in tours surrounding lighthearted events, such as Thailand’s Songkran water fight and Brazil’s Rio Carnival.
As a result of these trends, tour operators consider both price and cultural relevance when determining itinerary details.
“We choose accommodations that are unique, such as an eco-lodge that offers wildlife-based excursions,” said Millett. “For example, when we are in Vietnam, we spend a night on the local junk boats.”
Accommodations on most young adult itineraries not only favor unusual experiences, but also simple arrangements, such as camping or hostels. Participants report preferring to spend their money on activities and destinations instead of hotel-room stars.
“We don’t go to any fancy hotels,” said Mongrain. “Everything is much more focused toward the activities and the experience itself. Our generation would prefer cutting on the hotel price, since we are only there to sleep.”
Yomads chooses well-located and clean accommodations that stay light on the budget when crafting itineraries. This keeps the spotlight on the destination itself by allowing more room in the budget for the cultural experiences young adults crave.
Learning local delicacies from a Mongolian family brings groups up close to a remarkable lifestyle far from their own. Intrepid Travel weaves unforgettable authentic experiences such as these into each of their tour’s itineraries.
“The style of Intrepid is very attractive to the younger market,” said Sadowski. “We are all about getting under the skin of a destination. We use local guides that are from the destinations you are visiting, so they know the ins and outs of where the locals hang out.”
Spending time with locals creates immersive experiences harder to replicate in independent travel. Young adults will eagerly splurge on these types of activities, as well as more active excursions, such as hiking, biking and kayaking.
“There is a rise in our Active style of travel,” said Chan with G Adventures. “When you trek a mountain, there is a sense of accomplishment you enjoy.”
Tours with everything from rock climbing to horseback riding attract physically fit young adults. Many tours offer multiple types of adventurous excursions on each trip, some included and some optional.
Selling Group Travel
Images of buses full of people staring at world-famous attractions from the window come to mind for some young adults when picturing group travel. However, many young adults report appreciating many of the same things that other age groups enjoy about group travel once they try the experience for themselves.
“There are obviously a lot of stigmas around group travel,” said Sadowski with Intrepid Travel. “But the advantages of traveling with a local guide is an invaluable experience at any age. They can see that these experiences enrich their trip. They really do make all the difference.”
Many young people end up taking group trips because they want to visit a foreign country with the sense of security that these tours bring. Peace of mind can also come from knowing that guides who speak the language and understand the customs will help them navigate unfamiliar cultures.
“A lot of people appreciate the fact that the logistics are taken care of,” said Chan with G Adventures. “When people don’t have a lot of vacation time, they just want to arrive at the destination and enjoy.”
Though traditionally viewed as preferring independent travel, young adults often rave about the experience of traveling with others on a group tour.
“We get mostly independent travelers, but they are attracted to the group travel style because they can have an instant group of friends,” said Sadowski with Intrepid. “One traveler recently commented, ‘I started out on my own and ended up with 11 friends.’ That sums up what our style of travel is all about and why people are so attracted to it.”
The quick friendships, ease, security and engaging cultural tours all speak to adults under 40. The trick is convincing them to sign up.
Tour operators marketing to young adults frequent social media and other online sources. This age group often credits Facebook and Instagram as especially influential in travel decisions.
“We’ve definitely found a huge increase in social media and emailing,” said Sadowski. “People expect more communications on deals and specials online. It is more of a transfer to the digital world for the younger demographic.”
Though social media plays an essential role, a traditional method of garnering interest in group travel remains important as well: word of mouth. Yomads spends time seeking out face-to-face time with youth through various means, including attending events that attract a large number of youth.
“You have to talk to people and explain to those who have a misunderstanding of group travel,” said Mongrain. “Often when they hear group travel, they think of travel that is completely different than what we do. You can give them another idea of what it could be like on a group trip.”
Once young adults return from their group travels, they will often help spread the word themselves.
“As soon as you start having people talk to their friends about your trip on social media, that really helps,” said Mongrain. “If you have good trips, people will know. They share online. Others can see it is not just stopping for two minutes at each place. Hopefully, it will create a wave.”
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