As the end of a year filled with travel restrictions and uncertainty approaches, Topdeck Travel is looking ahead with predictions for 2021. With a COVID vaccine now starting its roll out and borders set to gradually reopen, the new year will bring new travel trends to the forefront.
Topdeck, the group travel provider for 18-30 somethings, has been examining the attitudes of its millennial and Gen Z audience towards travel restrictions and travel next year.
Rebound Travel
Topdeck’s findings paint a positive picture of what we can expect for youth travel in 2021, with 93% of young adults polled stating that the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns have caused an increased desire among them to travel more than they did before the pandemic.
Furthermore, in 2021 we can expect Gen Z and millennial travellers to plan more lengthy trips post-pandemic with 75% stating that they would be looking to take longer trips abroad once travel restrictions ease and travel reopens.
Following months of restrictions and lockdown, many young people are looking for a change of scene next year with the majority of respondents (81%) stating that they want to travel further afield when booking travel in 2021.
The findings show that Gen Z and millennials are ready to bounce back from a disheartening year for travel. With a need to seek out new adventures and a desire to make months of gloom better, 83% of Topdeck’s database of young adults stated that they would be looking to travel again next year.
Two fifths of respondents (38%) will be looking to travel as soon as travel restrictions are lifted, with 18% stating that they are planning to take their next travel trip in the months of July – September, 14% in the months of April – June and 10% in the months of October – December 2021.
Bucket List Destinations
Whilst it is likely that young travellers will be more mindful when it comes to travel destinations next year, it appears that a desire to visit bucket list destinations is still on the cards for 2021.
Although classic European stops such as Greece and Italy remain popular in Topdeck’s sentiment polls, far-flung and bucket list destinations such as Japan, Canada, Africa, New Zealand and the USA were ranked highly as attractive propositions for travellers next year.
Cultural Exploration and Adventure
For many young travellers, the pent-up demand to seize the day caused by a year of government restrictions is spurring a greater need to do and see more. Topdeck’s recent polling also proved this to be the case with cultural explorations and adventures topping the list of desired travel experiences for next year.
Many young travellers are looking for more than sun and relaxation when it comes to travel in 2021. A majority of Topdeck’s customers cited the mix of skiing and cultural experiences that Japan has to offer as a prime reason for wanting to visit the destination next year. Similarly, destinations such as Canada, Africa and New Zealand offer a great deal of outdoor excursions and explorative activities.
Charles Knowlton, Global General Manager at Topdeck Travel commented: ‘Many young travellers will be pleased to see the end of 2020, a year like no other, that has seen travel plans ruined due to government restrictions.
While it will take some time for the world to recover, signs do point towards travel being restored again once it reopens next year. It is great to see from our findings that travellers have not lost faith in exploring the world and that many cannot wait to book their next bucket list adventure to far-flung destinations such as Japan, Canada, Africa and New Zealand.
In these challenging times, we want to do everything we can at Topdeck to make sure our customers are able to book travel with confidence for next year. Offering a wide range of life changing tours in 2021 and beyond, our commitment to offering unforgettable travel is still the same and we cannot wait to get back to helping our customers experience refreshing, authentic and life-changing discoveries next year.’
To browse Topdeck Travel’s group tour offering and to make a booking for 2021 head to: https://www.topdeck.travel/
