When I told my parents a few months ago that my main holiday destination for 2018 would be the Philippines, there was frowning in all possible directions, followed by the comment: “Why always so far? We didn’t do any of this at your age.” Which brings me straight to the essence of this blog: blame it on my being part of the next generation, the tech-savvy experience-seeking AND Wanderlust generation: the so-called tripsters.

Wander-WHAT?

To quote the Urban Dictionary (or just Wikipedia), Wanderlust can be defined as ‘having a strong desire for or impulse to wander or travel and explore the world’ – which is basically something lots of the next generations (including me) ‘suffer’ from. According to a Ypulse study, 96% of our generation is interested in traveling and getting out of our comfort zones. We aim to explore the world, discover new places and spend our money on unique experiences (rather than big purchases), which leads to us going on at least three or four trips a year – the further, the better.

Wander-WHY?

Okay, so we are true experience seekers. We love mapping our own itineraries and planning our trips, pushing boundaries, embracing the ordinary, and discovering shortcuts that will allow us to cut costs without sacrificing any part of the experience. But above all, we aspire an authentic connection with others and with the world around us. The further we travel, the closer we want to be to other travelers on the one hand and to locals on the other: think locally-owned accommodation, the charm of local guides, visits to local producers and artisans and buying their products. Connecting with and contributing to the local community makes us feel we are doing the right thing – which fits perfectly with our quest for (macro)meaning.

Also, we are still a social(-media) generation, using our mobiles from beginning to end as a reference item, from searching for Instagram-worthy locations and making bookings to mapping out our routes and keeping our social channels up-to-date with pictures and (live) videos.

Wander-HOW?

In short: we, the next generations, are suffering from Wanderlust big time, and at the same time we are redefining the travel landscape as you know it. This makes us the fastest-growing (and most interesting) customer segment within the travel/ hospitality industry.

But how can brands attract and evolve together with us, young adult travelers? Here are three things to remember:

Yet again, the power is in the mix; whatever works to contribute to the next generations’ Wanderlust giant bucket list, right?

So, summer’s coming and travel plans are being made. Where will you be heading?