2022 Travel Trends: Where Young People are Looking to Travel Next Year

As the pioneering force in youth travel since 1962, Contiki has been bringing 18–35-year-old travelers together and sending them away to discover the world. In 2020, Contiki became a travel company – that couldn’t travel. What they discovered last year was the power of community: Avid travelers keeping the connection alive with their desire for shared experiences, storytelling and wanderlusting over when they can travel again.

Now that international travel is slowly getting back on track, with more and more countries opening their borders to vaccinated travelers, how does 2022 look like for gen Z and millennials looking to fulfill their wanderlust dreams?

With more than 50% of 18–35-year-olds having been vaccinated, things are definitely looking brighter for young Americans looking to resume international travel, embark on new adventures and finally explore some of their bucket list destinations.

For Contiki travelers, Europe is once again top of mind. Most of the bookings for next year are for Greek Island Hopping, European Discovery and European Magic, all multiple destination trips, 9-11 days long, with plenty of included experiences and free time along the way. South Africa is also big on the list, as well as Egypt, Thailand and Ireland. Contiki’s audience has always been big on adventure and memorable experiences and this trip selection reinforces just how important it is for young people to make up for lost time and see as much of the world as possible.

In terms of demographics, the average age is 27, consistent with pre-pandemic times. Solo travelers continue to be an important segment for Contiki, with 49% of the bookings made for 2022 being single bookings. This highlights why group travel companies like Contiki are so successful with people who need a certain degree of independence, but also appreciate the benefits of having all the details sorted for them and the advantage of being in a group and making new friends along the way, without having to pay for a single supplement.

Departure-wise, young U.S. travelers are putting their faith in May and June 2022 and looking at a minimum of one week vacation time.

Overall, it looks like young people are craving island vibes, sunbathing, lots of sightseeing and a healthy dose of adventure. As a youth-focused travel company, Contiki is looking forward to delivering all this and more to new and returning guests from around the world.