Young people are putting seeing the world at the top of their list, and more than ever before. Instead of buying fancy cars and designer bags, Gen-Z are out backpacking in Europe, strolling through cherry blossoms in Japan, or hiking mountains in New Zealand.

A 2024 travel insights survey found that on average, both Millennials and Gen-Z generations put 29 percent of their income towards travel, making it a “top priority”. This includes taking gap years, working multiple jobs, and sacrificing university holidays. But what is it that gives young people this strong desire to see the world?

Sophia Pierotti, 20, has already travelled a lot with her family and recently made her first adventure to Vietnam with friends from university. She plans to continue travelling while she is young.

“I’d love to see more of the world and explore new cultures, try new foods and meet new people,” she tells upstart.

“I think it’s just a great way to kind of test your own limits and challenge yourself. I feel like day-to-day life gets pretty tedious, so travelling is a good way to get out of that.”

Young people embracing travel is not new. According to culture writer Carmen Périz Rodríguez, the whole concept of tourism was heavily influenced by young people back in the 17th century, when western and northern European youth often made a “Grand Tour” around Europe with the goal of learning about history, art and culture.

This idea then spread across wider regions and demographics, to today, where people of all demographics travel for leisure, and young people still have that desire to get out and learn and be curious about the world they live in. For Australians, travel has long been considered a “rite of passage” for young adults.

While seeking new experiences through travel has long been a part of youth culture, the reasons behind it might be changing. One answer might be the increasing trend of valuing memories over materialistic objects. Statistics on spending habits found that Gen Z spends more money on experiences than possessions. Pierotti is one of those.

“When you’re going to be on your deathbed, you’re not really going to be thinking about that little Louis Vuitton bag that you could have had,” she says.

“You’re going to be thinking about the time you spent with your friends and family and the amazing adventures you’ve been on, and I think it’s what truly enriches your life. Possessions are just kind of there.”

Young people are also now heavily influenced by social media. Recent research finds that more than 80 percent of young travellers’ inspiration comes from social media content. From influencers to travel bloggers and even friends’ and family’s posts – they all shape travel decisions.

Flight Centre travel consultant Chantelle Crawford books travel for individuals and groups. Crawford finds social media to be powerful for young travellers and has even noticed some saying that they want to be “travel influencers” because of it.

“It floods our social media, and then lots of people want to be a part of it,” she tells upstart.

Pierotti agrees that social media influences her a “fair bit” in travel and many aspects of life. For her trip to Vietnam, her group found a lot of their destinations via TikTok.

“It kind of draws you to places that look really nice in a picture,” she says.

“I say like, ‘Oh, this would look so cool in my Instagram post,’ you know, and ‘Oh, like this would look awesome on my story’.”

Another consideration is the freedom and ability to travel in a post-COVID world. Another 2024 study found that 66 percent of travellers are more interested in travel now than before COVID-19.

Crawford says young people “definitely” want to travel more now than before the pandemic, especially those who were in lockdowns during their gap year.

“Everyone’s trying to make up for all that lost time now and get away,” she says.

Pierotti says it made her realise she wasn’t “immortal” and that she couldn’t do whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted.

“You realise the world can actually just be shut down in basically a day and you are trapped,” she says. “So, while we have the freedom and we have the opportunity, why would you not take it?”

Another growing trend in young people’s travel is solo travel, whether it is to disconnect from reality, take a journey of self-discovery, or just try new things out of their comfort zone. Crawford says in her experience, most young people are still booking with friends but has noticed the increasing popularity in travelling alone. In those cases, she focuses on safety.

“You’d usually recommend that they do a short little tour,” she says.

“So, they still have the safety of a tour group, and they can still make and meet friends.”

Pierotti says she would love to try solo travel and she can see the benefits.

“You want to get exactly what you want out of it and not just be compromised by someone else the whole trip,” she says.

However, she also finds that it’s nice to have someone to sit down with at the end of the day to share the experiences with. For young people planning their first overseas trip, Crawford recommends the obvious: research your destinations and ensure you save sufficiently for the trip.

“Always have extra money on hand so [you] don’t run out of funds while [you] are away,” she says.

And for any young people with the itch to travel, take it from Pierotti: “Absolutely go for it.”

Article: Ella Burns is a second-year Bachelor of Media and Communications (Journalism & Marketing) student at La Trobe University. You can follow her on X at @_EllaBurns
Cover photo: Woman Walking on Pathway While Strolling Luggage by Alex P found HERE and used under a Creative Commons license. This image has not been modified.