Millennial Travel Trends for 2018: What You Need to Know
America’s love affair with travel
Travel is one of America’s favorite pastimes, whether it’s a hunger to catch America’s most scenic train rides, America’s most haunted hotels, or desire to head abroad and take advantage of travel deals on these major international destinations. But the nature of the trip changes as the age of the traveler gets younger, according to a new survey by the AARP, believe it or not.
Although AARP’s work tends to focus on adults over the age of 50, this year’s survey polled adults from ages 20 and up who had taken at least one trip of 50 miles or more for a two-night stay within the past two years. Close to 2,000 people responded to AARP’s survey, and they learned some surprising things about millennial travel, says AARP’s Vicki Gelfeld.
Americans sure love to travel, and no one knows that better than the baby boomer generation, who grew up taking road trips with their parents and then made a point of introducing their own children to the joys of travel–so much so, in fact, that a .
Health travel not a focus for millennials
One trend Gelfeld notes is that Americans see vacation time as a chance to fully recharge. One in five Americans—but just one in nine millennials—plan to travel in 2018 for the purpose of improving their health (you should probably stop blaming millennials for these things). Want some tips on keeping your trip fun and active? Here are 13.
International travel on the rise
Millennials plan to head abroad with more frequency than older generations—nearly twice as often, on average. In all cases, the Caribbean, Latin America, and Europe are the most popular international destinations for American travelers. Is your passport up to date? Are you sure?
Using up vacation time
Millennials do not believe in letting those free days go to waste: Eight out of 10 take all their vacation time, the most of any age group. No matter your age or health, remember all the reasons that taking a vacation is GOOD for you.
The fine line between work and play
Three out of four millennials admit that when they go on vacation in 2018, they plan to bring work with them; just over half of boomers would be willing to do work while away—which frankly makes more sense. Working on vacation is one of the 10 ways to make a trip unnecessarily stressful.
Average cost
Millennials surveyed estimated they’d be shelling out nearly $7,000 in 2018 for their vacations. If that sounds like a lot, perhaps you’re a Gen-Xer: The ones surveyed estimated they’d spend only $5,400 on their 2018 travel plans. Gen Z’ers will never own these products, perhaps to save money for experiences.
Need more cash for your dream vacay? Try these fantastic money-saving tips straight from people who are really good at saving money.
Adventure travel is trending down
When it comes to adventure travel, it may be on their bucket list but not on the agenda: Only 27 percent of millennials are planning an extreme vacation in 2018.
If you’re looking for an all-American kind of adventure, here are 50 iconic adventures for each of the 50 states. And if you’re a sandwich-boomer, here are some tips on traveling with seniors.
