The StudentUniverse Black Friday booking data has found that Gen Z travel habits are changing – for the better!
WALTHAM, Mass. – New data from StudentUniverse, a Flight Centre Travel Group company and the world’s largest student and youth travel marketplace, suggests that young Americans are favoring international travel over domestic, following record Black Friday sales.
The trend, from US travellers between the ages of 18-25, has revealed that bookings to Europe have grown by 61% year on year.
Following a difficult time for international travel amidst the pandemic, the figures suggest that travel is well and truly back – with young adults reveling in the opportunity to head overseas and experience the world like never before, and making the most of special offers during Black Friday. With the overall value of student and youth travel totalling $330bn globally, young Americans are making a huge contribution to the overall bounce back of global travel.
Steven de Blois, Global Managing Director for StudentUniverse, says: “After a challenging few years for the global travel industry, we’re thrilled to see confidence in booking international adventures is back for young Americans.
“We can’t overstate the value and importance that these travel experiences have on young adults in their formative years – the new countries and cultures they experience during their travels have a real, impactful influence on their lives.”
The data showed that young Americans’ booking habits have also changed. Booking lead times are moving in favor of travellers booking earlier, rather than at the last minute. People booking to travel in the next two weeks declined by over 40%, while those booking to travel over four months away rose by 85% on last year’s bookings.
When it comes to how young travellers are booking, it seems that apps are increasingly popular. Over Black Friday weekend, over a third of bookings through StudentUniverse were on the dedicated app, suggesting younger generations are choosing to adopt modern technology and have confidence in booking through less traditional forms.
One thing has remained the same though – the most popular route for young Americans to book is still a trip across the pond! Transatlantic bookings between the US and UK were up 42% year on year.
For more information and exclusive flight prices for student and youth visit: www.studentuniverse.com.
About StudentUniverse:
Launched in 2000, StudentUniverse is a Boston-based tech company that operates the world’s largest student and youth travel marketplace. Through negotiations with a network of global partners, StudentUniverse offers exclusive pricing and terms for its members.
With operations in the US, UK, Australia, Canada and the Philippines, StudentUniverse empowers students and youth to travel more. Acquired in 2015, StudentUniverse is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Flight Centre Travel Group, one of the world’s largest travel companies. For more updates, follow our corporate blog and LinkedIn.