Millennials are all the rage right now, but new research says maybe we should be paying attention.
News straight from the 2015 World Youth and Student Travel Conference (WYSTC) tells us that youth and student travellers aged 15 to 29 represent 23% of international tourist arrivals.
WYSE Travel Confederation and the World Tourism Organization announce an updated estimate of the size of the global youth travel market, and it’s a decent chunk they’re occupying.
“Over time, the share of youth travellers has not only increased, but diversified due to growing numbers of young travellers from emerging economies,” UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai said.
“This is very good news as young travellers tend to look for lesser known destinations and be more resilient in moments of crises.”
“UNWTO is thus very pleased to be working alongside WYSE Travel Confederation to better understand this important market segment and support countries adjustment to the needs of young travellers.”
Youth and student travel is one of the fastest growing and most dynamic segments of global tourism with young travellers attracting more attention from destinations looking to diversify their markets.
“Not only are young travellers on the verge of representing nearly a quarter of international arrivals, they bring sustainable value to destinations,” WYSE Travel Confederation director general David Chapman said.
“Youth and student travellers are pursuing knowledge and skill-building activities through travel.
“Educational travel experiences are usually for an extended period and offer deeper value to both traveller and host destination when compared to more traditional types of leisure travel.”
