Much desire to see the world, flexible time to do so, and lower purchasing power than in other eras. Looking at these three pillars, it may seem that the reality of today’s young traveler is not far from what his parents sought. It wouldn’t be a mistake. The big difference, however, lies in the tools at hand. Today, with just a few clicks, the passenger can choose the cheapest destination, compare flight tickets and connections, book accommodation based on other travelers’ reviews, and even know where to go, with just a few clicks via apps on their laptop or smartphone before or during the trip. keep your luggage for a few hours so as not to carry it around the city.
While these and others aren’t exclusive to those in their twenties or just over 30, their greater commitment to the tech world for broad searches and especially See as much as possible in your adventures on a lower budget. Sometimes too low. Because after all, money is the main factor that determines how a teenager plans their trip, and in that, finding the best flight offer between different airlines is decisive in deciding where to go.
“If you see a plane for 20 or 30 euros, you decide, the hotel will come and whatever you spend there will come.” Speaker Carlos Montesinos, CEO of Airhopping. accomodation.
Thus, Montesinos, representing one third of its turnover and spending an average of 250 euros on its services, “want to add destinations at the lowest price”, and therefore some, such as Milan, Paris or London, are “cheap”, bestsellers. In addition, if the offer is unbeatable and you have the time, and the direct flight will be quite a lot, for a teenager who doesn’t mind the wait, the option of a journey with a few hours of stops may be more appealing. raising costs. For example, fly from Barcelona to Athens via Zurich.
Couchsurfing lets you sleep on a couch or bed provided by another person for free.
Variety of accommodation
However, the savings do not only come into play in flights. Alternatives like Omio allow you to compare the prices of your destinations and find the best routes at the lowest cost, a fact that comes up before you leave when looking for accommodation. Using well-known platforms like Booking or Airbnb – or online agencies – to find hotels or houses to stay in, adding to this search the possibility of reducing costs and even greater integration into the local culture of the destination, the possibility of choosing to stay in hostels that share a room – a cheaper reality and for the solo traveler where the proportion of people is higher, most are young – or betting on couchsurfing where one person offers you a place to sleep from one room to the next without paying anything. divan. Added to this are options provided by other apps like Workaway, where people looking for accommodation are matched with others or organizations that provide it in exchange for work or volunteering. And not only that, in many cases technology and applications go even further, accompanying young travelers on the journey as well, be it for example finding up-to-date information on bus timetables in a foreign country (Moovit); where is the nearest theater or bank (AroundMe); Find a place to eat at a discount (Foodme) or a place to leave your luggage after leaving the accommodation (Nannybag).Ladillo
A platform that provides information on a city’s water bottle refills
a heterogeneous profile
However, it is not correct to think of the young traveler as a homogeneous profile. Factors such as the distance and complexity of the journey, its duration and type are essential to designing it in some way. For example, if you want to travel to a lesser-known destination on another continent, the option to choose your own on the platform is added to the option to be recommended by an onsite agent. Eva Blasco, vice president of ECTAA (European Association of Travel Agencies and Tour Operators), explains: “For a trip to Madrid, it is often used for a trip, not an in-person agency. To Vietnam [que requiere un visado, vacunas, así como una operatividad más complicada de base] yes it is done». In this sense, adds Blasco, it is ultimately both the long journey in the journey and, above all, the “purchasing power” of the passenger that mark their use. Younger clientele becomes less common in these services. But teens are also betting on longer routes outside of the most traditional. More flexible alternatives, such as living in a caravan or caravan by road – made to live in – are reaching levels of success among young people who have the time and budget to travel. And on its routes, it gains more and more power from apps designed to know traffic (Waze), consult campsites or recreation areas (Park4night), or check the weather (Meteored). He is not alone. On the young horizon, Interrail and its excursions are also bursting with vitality, to travel from place to place by train, to sleep in hostels or houses, to see in a few weeks that yet undiscovered world in an easy and adventurous way. Success is experience, as the type of routes doesn’t matter.