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I'm curious how Milennials/Gen Zers find the money to travel when they have college loan debt and high rent or mortgages? Also, jobs don't give a lot of vacation time. When you are first hired, you only get 2 weeks.
A nephew of mine who's still in high school wants to travel through Europe when he graduates. Good luck with that! Who's going to pay for that? Even a modest backpacking trip staying in hostels costs a bit of money.
When I was in my 20's and 30's, I took the usual one-week vacations but it was not a constant obsession of mine to travel. I didn't have the money nor the time off from work.
Later, I was unable to travel for a long period of time due to taking care of an elderly parent. All of my vacation time had to go towards my parent's care needs. People with caregiving responsibilities (whether kids or elderly parents) are not able to travel.
College loan payments have been suspended for several years, so no mystery about vacations and new iphones.
They are scheduled to resume so it will be interesting to see if people continue spending or changes their budgets.
When required payments on federally-held student loans resume this September, borrowers will have $5 billion a month less to spend on other things, putting stress on an economy already facing the prospect of a recession.
Borrowers with federal student loans will face an average of $250 a month in extra payments when the pandemic relief pause on interest and required payments comes to an end after more than three years, Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics, estimated Tuesday in an interview on CNBC. That reduction of spending money in the pockets of borrowers will likely drag down consumer spending, reducing economic growth as measured by the gross domestic product by “a couple of tenths of a percent.”
“In a more typical time, that's not really that big a deal,” Zandi said. “The economy can digest that gracefully. But in the current environment where the economy is weak as it is, recession, risks as high as they are, a couple of tenths of a percent can matter.”"
Put me in the group of seniors who has no real desire to take big trips anymore, just one big hassle and a source of stress. With that said I am extremely thankful that I traveled so much when I was young. I tell young people all the time, hoping they listen, that now is the time to make memories. When you get to be my age you will be so glad you did. So get out of the house and travel wherever you can afford to go is what I always say.
Travel is the Millennial version of "keeping up with the Jones". People like to poke at Boomers for their obsession with lots of toys and possessions, but Millennials / Gen Z have their own obsession with checking off the experience and places been bucket list, and it's every bit as unbalanced.
1. Travel funnels experiences. The classic argument for travel is that it broadens people's experiences in life, but does it really? There's some truly adventurous folks who go far away and really wonder off the beaten path - but by and large, when people go beyond the weekend 2 hr drive range, they stick to "best of" lists. Although there's something exotic to far away locations, travelers are really just experiencing all the same sights and experiences as everyone else traveling. National Parks are the prime example. People are willing to take risks trying something out of their box when they are in their own area and it's a quick drive home; they don't take those same risks with their intricately planned long distance travel itinerary. Taking these risks is where we get novelty and new experiences, it doesn't have to just be a change of scenery.
We each have our own special "side of the pond" on this planet earth with the radius around where we live. Let's explore the uniqueness of our own section of the world instead of swimming over to check out all the other shores. Don't like your location? Move! People now are the most unshackled from employment that they've ever been.
2. Do we need more experiences? I truly question if anyone these days is actually understimulated? It seems to be the opposite, where people are stressed, anxious, and overcommitted. Millennials have already had way more experiences in their lifetime already than what humans throughout history have had, how many more experiences does a person need?
What it does seem that we need more of is social connection and relationships. But travel gets in the way of building those. 3 days minimum for each flight - time to research and book, time in transit, and time to recover / do laundry etc when you're back. That's 3 days you are not out socializing. Sure people socialize on trips, but long term relationships are formed with people that we see recurringly, most often people geographically closeby. How many of the van life people are going to be in touch with those they met on their journeys in 12 years? How many social connections did they let wither or never form by not being in a position to see people on a continual basis?
There is this FOMO to travel while young, but why? There's plenty of time to travel after the kids aren't little anymore; people live a long time after retirement. What is the more pressing timeline is getting in a relationship and conceiving those kids.
3. Locals don't really want tourists. Sure the people visiting are enjoying their experiences, but are the locals enjoying your presence? I don't have to post links here, you see it on your news feed weekly: "People in Maui were brought up to resent tourists", "Italian official calls tourists 'vandals' after bad behavior", "Record traffic and lines getting into Zion"... It's obvious here in Taos, when I mention to a shop owner that I'm a local, all of a sudden they open up and really start chatting, instead of the usual casual banter to visitors. True, tourists bring money, but it's simply a chore / job catering to them, unless it's in a location sparsely visited, which sadly is not where most people go.
Not all exchanges have to have this guest / servant type of behavior. Take art - buying or experiencing a piece of art allows you to inwardly travel to the creativity of another individual, meanwhile sending them $$$ to propel their creative journey forward.
4. It's wasteful. Recent estimate I saw was 8-10% of all emissions result from travel and vacation. That's huge. If Millennials & Gen Z were actually concerned about climate change and resources, they'd think twice before booking the flight. Instead we just hear a bunch of talk about how that's someone else's job to work towards fixing that issue.
Obviously I'm not saying to never get on a plane again, just that we need to tone travel down. Take time to relax. Enjoy our own mind via hobbies and introspection - and the minds of others through conversation and artistic expression. There's only so many locations on earth, but there's endless experiences in your mind and through the mind of others. Exploring up that vein will lead to a more balanced and satisfied life.
Point noted on all observations. However, I am with a commenter sentiment that people make their own choices to live life and enjoy it as they see fit. Your post seems to imply demands in an indirect way. I have a question for you? What exactly impelled you to write this message? From my standpoint I love travelling. I do not do so anymore due to this point in my life. My wife and I, and now our daughter love travelling. It seems that people love for complaining about something is part of human nature. I never thought that someone would complain about travelling. But I admit you learn something every day.
You have a great day,
el amigo
I know a retired couple with sufficient resources to travel and they don't. They travel domestically only. They like to do getaways (a few hours by car) and they also own a home in Florida and go there for the winter. They have no interest in travelling overseas.
I don't particularly enjoy travelling and usually have to grit my teeth to plan and execute a trip but there are a few places that I do want to see now that I have the time to travel. I'm a pick-and-choose type person and will only go to certain places that I want to go. I won't travel with groups because I feel they waste my time going to sights that I don't care to see. They waste a lot of time eating meals. One group tour planned an hour and half for lunch. Frankly, I would rather eat on the run and spend that time seeing something.
I feel travel can be a form of escape. When you're young, you get out of college and then start working. After the initial excitement of a new job wears off, you come home every night to the same four walls and then eat and sleep and get up the next day for work again and life starts feeling very humdrum. So people like having a trip to look forward to. Then real life sets in again and they feel bored and decide to plan another trip. It's a cycle that will never bring total fulfillment, only temporary pleasure. In the meantime, the financial resources are getting depleted...
The idea that travel is the end-all and be-all of life is a fallacy though. It is just a blip on the timeline of life. It can never be the meat and potatoes of life. Nor the fabric of life. It is a very tiny piece of time. If Milennials were really smart, they would put the effort and energy into things that really matter. Things like spirituality, family, personal growth, learning, these are important too, not just endless running running running to see places like hamsters.
I know a retired couple with sufficient resources to travel and they don't. They travel domestically only. They like to do getaways (a few hours by car) and they also own a home in Florida and go there for the winter. They have no interest in travelling overseas.
I don't particularly enjoy travelling and usually have to grit my teeth to plan and execute a trip but there are a few places that I do want to see now that I have the time to travel. I'm a pick-and-choose type person and will only go to certain places that I want to go. I won't travel with groups because I feel they waste my time going to sights that I don't care to see. They waste a lot of time eating meals. One group tour planned an hour and half for lunch. Frankly, I would rather eat on the run and spend that time seeing something.
I feel travel can be a form of escape. When you're young, you get out of college and then start working. After the initial excitement of a new job wears off, you come home every night to the same four walls and then eat and sleep and get up the next day for work again and life starts feeling very humdrum. So people like having a trip to look forward to. Then real life sets in again and they feel bored and decide to plan another trip. It's a cycle that will never bring total fulfillment, only temporary pleasure. In the meantime, the financial resources are getting depleted...
The idea that travel is the end-all and be-all of life is a fallacy though. It is just a blip on the timeline of life. It can never be the meat and potatoes of life. Nor the fabric of life. It is a very tiny piece of time. If Milennials were really smart, they would put the effort and energy into things that really matter. Things like spirituality, family, personal growth, learning, these are important too, not just endless running running running to see places like hamsters.
You made me smile.
For me, traveling alone is traveling best. Traveling with a group would be terrible. Most trips I hear about from friends don't interest me.
One of the things that strikes me is how little the travelers know about their destinations - even after they come back. I asked an Africa traveler what countries she went to and she didn't know. "Oh, just Africa in general", she said.
People talk about the food and the wine. I hardly drink at all and prefer to view food as a necessity.
Point noted on all observations. However, I am with a commenter sentiment that people make their own choices to live life and enjoy it as they see fit. Your post seems to imply demands in an indirect way. I have a question for you? What exactly impelled you to write this message? From my standpoint I love travelling. I do not do so anymore due to this point in my life. My wife and I, and now our daughter love travelling. It seems that people love for complaining about something is part of human nature. I never thought that someone would complain about travelling. But I admit you learn something every day.
You have a great day,
el amigo
Sure - it started as a reflection on critiques that my generation gives to boomers, that they have too many possessions / too much crap. Reflecting on millenials / gen Z - where do they go overboard? Travel was my answer. The experiences vs possession was a good vein to go down - but my generation seemed to overly bucketize experiences as travel. What I'm saying is that too much travel actually limits your experiences, you spend too much time prepping and in a seat transiting locations while missing out on other events, relationships, and experiences you could have had instead of sitting at an airport.
People complain about travel all the time - live in a mountain town and the gripe about tourism is endless (often way over the top). I didn't want to focus on the 'footprint' of travel necessarily, but moreso the benefits of looking at a more holistic lens of "experience" beyond changing geography.
Quote:
Originally Posted by smt1111
I know a retired couple with sufficient resources to travel and they don't. They travel domestically only. They like to do getaways (a few hours by car) and they also own a home in Florida and go there for the winter. They have no interest in travelling overseas.
I don't particularly enjoy travelling and usually have to grit my teeth to plan and execute a trip but there are a few places that I do want to see now that I have the time to travel. I'm a pick-and-choose type person and will only go to certain places that I want to go. I won't travel with groups because I feel they waste my time going to sights that I don't care to see. They waste a lot of time eating meals. One group tour planned an hour and half for lunch. Frankly, I would rather eat on the run and spend that time seeing something.
I feel travel can be a form of escape. When you're young, you get out of college and then start working. After the initial excitement of a new job wears off, you come home every night to the same four walls and then eat and sleep and get up the next day for work again and life starts feeling very humdrum. So people like having a trip to look forward to. Then real life sets in again and they feel bored and decide to plan another trip. It's a cycle that will never bring total fulfillment, only temporary pleasure. In the meantime, the financial resources are getting depleted...
The idea that travel is the end-all and be-all of life is a fallacy though. It is just a blip on the timeline of life. It can never be the meat and potatoes of life. Nor the fabric of life. It is a very tiny piece of time. If Milennials were really smart, they would put the effort and energy into things that really matter. Things like spirituality, family, personal growth, learning, these are important too, not just endless running running running to see places like hamsters.
I bet the trips you do take are 'home runs' where you capture a lot and make the most. Part of the reason I like closeby domestic travel is with trips longer than say 5 days, you need to start banking in downtime cause the brain fills up quickly with experiences. If it's close, you can travel well, as Igor below outlines, and still make it a "quick" and let your brain process it all at home back in daily life. The further away you're travelling, the more time you need to do it right.
Spot on with the last 2 paragraphs. In some ways, it can be like a different rendition of the "weekend" mentality where people's enjoyment is constrained to these small buckets of time rather than sprinkled all throughout.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Igor Blevin
Get out and walk.
I love road trips, seeing what is around the next corner, and exploring the road less traveled. Getting there is half the fun for me. What I saw on my first trip around America really underscored why states quit expanding westward as they formed and just said, "no thanks, you can have that terrain. We'll keep the good stuff". You really start to understand the geographic basis for the state borders, and how they are affected by the flora and fauna.
Travelling the country really puts that together.
Still, it took me a few road trips to learn that I had to "get out and walk". You miss so much at 70 mph. You get a jist of it, but you just can't immerse yourself in it unless you get out and walk. Walk to a mountain lake. Put your feet in the Mississippi River. Park and walk around that town square. Take a walk where the locals live. It is a culture shock to live with wood backyard fences your entire life, only to find out that there are entire regions where people don't have fences around their property. You don't see that from the interstate at 70 mph.
I love road trips and getting there is half the fun, but you absolutely have to "get out and walk" to experience a place, soak it up, really enjoy it, and remember it.
I also like to see places both by day and by night. Many urban and suburban areas can be much prettier by night than by day. I took a friend to the Butchart Garden on Vancouver Island, BC, Canada. I walked her feet flat all day. She was dog tired and I had to drag her back to the garden that night after dinner -- she was exhausted and did not want to go. All the way back to the hotel all she kept saying was, "THANK YOU for making me go back at night", because the lit gardens were so much different and uniquely beautiful than they are in natural daylight.
One of my earliest road trip lessons is not to waste a lot of time in major cities you can fly to. Even on a 2-month road trip, you only have so many days to utilize. It makes no sense to spend a week in Manhattan or San Francisco, when you can always fly back and spend a week. Much better to just spend a day or 2 in major cities to see if it is worth returning, and then move on to sights that are worth picking up along the way, but not worth flying in just to see. You can always fly later and spend several days in a big city doing everything. Why waste that time on a road trip, unless you have unlimited money and time?
This is an excellent post. Despite sounding "American", I like travelling with a car cause it allows you to get all the off the beaten path and distance in between captured. You don't get funneled into what's walking distance to the transit stop. Certain things are only 15-30 minute experiences, but there can be dozens of those in between 2 destinations if you pull off and look at them.
Agree about the big cities as well. Those are best captured in tandem with work trips or as a small piece of a broader trip. You'll always get funneled to those because they are the hubs that you come into - so you'll get many opportunities to experience.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave_n_Tenn
Not all traveling is for enjoyment in the traditional sense. Some travel takes on a greater purpose. I did a Holy Land trip years ago and on another trip, visited my ancestral locations in Ireland, England and Sweden. From the latter trips I discovered, I 'most likely' was a product of Viking pillaging. Lol.
Totally agree here - shifting the goal of travel from enjoyment to fulfillment / understanding makes it more rewarding. It makes you more likely to have eye opening moments and connect dots in life.
Sure - it started as a reflection on critiques that my generation gives to boomers, that they have too many possessions / too much crap. Reflecting on millenials / gen Z - where do they go overboard? Travel was my answer. The experiences vs possession was a good vein to go down - but my generation seemed to overly bucketize experiences as travel. What I'm saying is that too much travel actually limits your experiences, you spend too much time prepping and in a seat transiting locations while missing out on other events, relationships, and experiences you could have had instead of sitting at an airport.
People complain about travel all the time - live in a mountain town and the gripe about tourism is endless (often way over the top). I didn't want to focus on the 'footprint' of travel necessarily, but moreso the benefits of looking at a more holistic lens of "experience" beyond changing geography.
Traveling limits experience!? Really? When I was in the Army, my family and I travelled as much as possible wherever we were living. Does it take time to prepare? Of course it does. Does it take time to like cooking? Does it take time to have parties? Of course. If you take time to prepare something you enjoy, it is worth it. I had the experience to be in about 30 countries and about 30 states because we alway tried to visit places. Our daugthers look back those days with a lot of joy. My wife and I cherish those memories a lot. We have so many mementos on display around the house.
I do not share your view at all but to each his own.
You have a great day,
elamigo
I’m 75 and always traveled since childhood. We traveled when my daughter was old enough to enjoy it. She later studied abroad. We are heading to Europe next week. Our last trip to Europe was truncated by COVID in 2020. The trip before that was to Peru and Machu Picchu.
I have not been to every state. I think there are eight waiting for me. In my senior years I revisit some places. I travel to fly fish.
I don’t understand some people who are opposed to traveling. Some had to travel with the military and I see why the novelty has worn off. One needs to be able to afford traveling or have a way to do it. I live in a state where some folks seldom leave their county.
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