A new study finds travelers under 30 years old consider the ethical impact of their trips more than any other age demographic
Intrepid Travel, the world’s largest provider of sustainable, experience-rich travel, has launched a new line of tours consisting of more than 80 trips exclusively designed for 18- to 29-year-old travelers, with a focus on affordability, sustainability and immersive activities.
With tours priced from $335 per person and up, the company will also be offering $99 deposits on all of its 18-to-29s trips, making sustainable and ethical travel more accessible to a younger demographic while providing this socially conscious generation with a stress-free alternative to backpacking and big bus tours. Highlights from the brand new tours include a seven-day camping trip in Iceland, a nine-day tour in Egypt that includes a cruise along the Nile River and an eight-day trekking trip to Machu Picchu in Peru.
“Sustainable travel doesn’t have to be expensive,” said James Thornton, CEO of Intrepid Travel. “This age group will increasingly influence travel trends. Their buying decisions can help to reduce demand for unethical activities like visiting orphanages or riding elephants.”
Results of a new study commissioned by Intrepid Travel revealed that travelers under 30 consider the ethical impact of their trips more than any other age demographic, at 76%. The survey of 2,000 North American travelers, conducted by OnePoll, confirmed that sustainable and ethical travel options are increasingly important considerations for millennials, with other significant findings from the research including:
Millennials expect travel companies to offer socially-conscious travel options:
- 86% of 18- to 29-year-olds consider it important when booking a trip for a company to offer sustainable travel options.
- 90% of 18- to 29-year-olds consider a travel company's commitment to ethical travel important when booking a trip.
- 18- to 29-year-olds are the most likely demographic to think that travel companies have a greater responsibility to provide sustainable experiences.
- The two things 18- to 29-year-olds consider the most important when booking travel are affordability (52%) and knowing their travel dollars are supporting local communities (51%).
- 86% of 18- to 29-year-olds are willing to spend more on their travel if it meant the experiences included were completely ethical.
- The main reason why 18- to 29-year-olds would book a holiday with the same company they've already traveled with is that they felt like their dollars were put towards a truly local and immersive experience.
- 58% of 18- to 29-year-olds would spend more on their travel if they knew their money was going into the local communities they're visiting, compared to just 32% of travelers aged 51+.
- 77% of 18- to 29-year-olds say that sustainability impacts their decision to travel, compared to 48% of travelers aged 51+.
- 43% of 18- to 29-year-olds believe it is important that a company focuses on environmental and social causes they care about, compared to 32% of travelers between the ages of 41 and 50, and 17% of travelers aged 51+.
Intrepid Travel has been a carbon-neutral company since 2010, has led the industry on animal welfare by being the first global tour operator to ban elephant rides, and has taken a leadership position on child protection by removing orphanage visits from its itineraries. Every Intrepid tour supports local communities by using local transportation, employing a local tour leader, and staying and eating at locally-owned businesses. In August 2018, the company became the world’s largest travel B Corporation, a certification that represents Intrepid’s commitment to using its business to create a positive impact for both people and the planet.
In line with Intrepid’s pledge to double donations to projects that help marginalized youth around the world, the company has partnered with Friends-International, a leading social enterprise saving lives and building futures for young people. The company will make a donation to Friends-International for every 18-to-29s trip booked.
For more information about this new tour range, or to book an Intrepid Travel 18-to-29s trip, visit intrepidtravel.com.