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StudentUniverse Survey: Young travelers are finding it difficult to truly disconnect

StudentUniverse

StudentUniverse survey reveals Gen Z finds it challenging to disconnect while traveling, with most not viewing vacations as a burnout remedy.

WALTHAM, MASS. – A recent survey from StudentUniverse, a Flight Centre Travel Group company, dove into the topic of turning to travel to cure burnout generating some interesting insights from Gen Z. While travel has traditionally been recommended as an opportunity to rest & recharge, for Gen Z that does not appear to be the case. In fact a majority of Gen Z (40.3%) sometimes find themselves addressing tasks even when they try not to and 30.2% find it truly difficult to disconnect. Only 29.4% of respondents stated that they opt to be completely offline when on a trip. Likewise, 45.2% sometimes feel pressured to engage in school/work tasks while on vacation. This may be the reason why most (69%) are not planning a trip to combat burnout as it appears that a vacation may not be the solution in an ever-connected world.

“Traditionally a trip was an opportunity for one to enjoy some much needed time alone or with family and loved ones, but with the advancement of technology it has gradually become more difficult for one to truly disconnect,” said Jillian McElroy, Product Manager at StudentUniverse. “Travel intent remains strong amongst student & youth travelers but they aren’t necessarily always looking for a vacation to relax. They travel for a variety of reasons, from exploration and education, to opportunities to work remotely, and these are important things for the travel & tourism industry to consider about this young generation.”  

Additional insights from the survey:

  • 31% of respondents are planning a trip to combat burnout, while a majority (69%) are not. Similarly, a majority (66.1%) have not taken a trip to let off steam, but 33.9% have.
  • Despite recent trends in using travel to improve mental health, most respondents (39.8%) stated that after a vacation they still return to class somewhat stressed due to makeup work and 34% shared that traveling was not an effective tool to combat burnout, instead it only emphasized their feelings of exhaustion and fatigue. However, 26.1% did find traveling to be useful.
  • For those who agree that travel is helpful in combating feelings of burnout, a majority of respondents (38.2%) stated that they need to get away for at least a few days to feel refreshed, while 15.5% need at least a couple weeks. When planning a vacation to combat burnout, one that has a mix of leisure time and activities is preferred with 41.6% stating this preference. However, 37.1% shared that plenty of leisure time is ideal in order to relax and reset.
  • When asked if they find themselves stressing about work/school while traveling, most Gen Z said sometimes (39.7%), which might explain why most respondents did not or only somewhat agreed that travel is an effective tool for combating burnout. The fact that 46.6% still monitor their inbox and respond to important emails could also be a factor of this finding.
  • Unsurprisingly, this tech-centric generation stated that they would not book a vacation if there was no wifi connectivity (68.4%).
Theodore Koumelis
Co-Founder & Managing Director - Travel Media Applications | Website | + Posts

Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.

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