Boozy holidays no longer ‘cool’ among young travellers
Getting drunk is not a priority for young people when they go on holiday, according to research published today.
A survey of 2,000 British holidaymakers commissioned by World Travel Market found just 9% of millennials want to get drunk on holiday.
Meanwhile, 78% of those aged 25-34 seek to spur social media envy by posting on Instragram, closely followed by those in the 18-24 age group, where 63% say they search for social status shots rather than shots of sambuca.
More than two thirds (38%) of those aged 25-34 say they post online more than once a day while they are on holiday, with a similar proportion (37%) of those aged 18-24 posting once a day.
Travel experts at WTM say this reflects a ‘seismic shift’ in attitudes towards booze.
A third of Brits aged 16-24 now do not drink, compared to one fifth in 2015, according to Health Survey for England.
Binge drinking rates have also plunged from 27% in 2005 to 18%.
The findings come just three days before the last ever Club 18-30 customers fly from Manchester to Magaluf on Saturday.
At its peak, Club 18-30 took 110,000 young people a year on holiday.
But Thomas Cook has scrapped the brand, saying it wants to focus on its Cook’s Club resorts for style-conscious holidaymakers on a lower budget.
World Travel Market London’s Paul Nelson, said: "It’s a sobering thought for the older generation of holidaymakers that their drunken antics are just not regarded as cool by younger travellers.
"It would appear that millennials, ‘Generation Sensible’ or ‘sober socialites’ are more health-conscious and mindful of their image when on holiday, and eager to share their photographs instead of handling a hangover.
"The travel industry is tapping into this trend because Instagram has an estimated one billion users, so it’s a very influential platform.
"Budget airline easyJet last week unveiled a Look&Book app feature that allows passengers to instantly book flights using just a photo – without the user needing to know the destination.
"You can browse Instagram, take screen-grabs of inspiring photos and then share with, or upload to, the budget airline’s app."
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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