The World Youth Student and Educational (WYSE) Travel Confederation announced the publication of results from its fifth global study of youth and student travel, New Horizons 5: A global study of the youth and student traveller.

The latest edition of New Horizons discovered that, on average, an individual youth and student traveller spent just under EUR 3,000 for their last main international trip. 

WYSE Travel Confederation estimates that approximately 69 percent of the total international youth trip cost is spent in destination. 

The 2023 study also revealed that fewer youth travelled alone than in 2017 and the average international youth trip duration had shortened to 41 days from 52 days.

What the study sought to find out

New Horizons is the only recurring global survey of the youth (under age 30) travel segment. 

The aim of the study is to provide a global overview of the youth and student travel market, which WYSE Travel Confederation and UN Tourism have estimated to account for 23 percent of international arrivals or more than 296 million international arrivals in 2023.

Among many questions about young travellers, the New Horizons study provides a global view of travellers aged 30 and younger, including:

• Who travels, where, why, and how
• How international trips are planned and booked
• How much is spent and on what

As such, New Horizons identifies opportunities in the marketplace, outlines tips for better understanding young travellers and reveals trends in international youth travel since the study began in 2002.

According to WYSE Travel Confederation director-general David Chapman: “Catering to the preferences of Generation Z on the environment, personal health, wellness and safety, and digital ease is key for professionals currently in the youth travel space. Visas, sustainability and affordability will be critical issues for the travel industry at large to advance in ways that are mutually beneficial to all stakeholders.”