Schoolies trends for 2015

The school year has barely started, but schoolies is fresh in every student’s mind, as the top trends start to emerge.

European coach travel, larger groups, luxury cruises and assisting disadvantaged communities – these are the leading trends that will be driving the Schoolies travel market in 2015 and beyond, according to growth figures by Unleashed Travel.

With February a peak month in the industry for Schoolies holiday bookings, Unleashed Travel CEO Jot Lynas forecasts the strongest trends for 2015.

“One of the most surprising changes in school-leaver travel is the new peak week for travel – rather than end of November, most students are now travelling in December,” Lynas said.

“While Island destinations have been trending in recent years, there is a 30 per cent increase in demand for bigger groups (30 per cent bigger) at these islands. Volunteering trips have been popular from the get go, and are increasing year on year – with a 35 per cent increase in bookings last year.

“Based on last year’s response to a Fiji cruise that we didn’t even actively promote, we also predict that cruises will be a trend to look out for,”

And in support of this emerging trend, Unleashed Travel is this year officially launching its Reef Endeavour Fiji Cruise Grad Trip, offering a variety of islands in the one package.

Lynas says students today are putting a lot more thought into their Schoolies trips and often plan them a year in advance.

“They want more from their Schoolies experience and are no longer happy with a last minute, poorly planned trip to the Gold Coast,” he said.

With holiday packages for more than 10,000 school-leavers under their belt, Unleashed Travel has used this data to reveal the top five Schoolies travel trends for 2015.

1. Big islands: While exclusive island destinations are here to stay, Unleashed Travel’s data reveals a 30% increase in big island bookings in 2014, expected to increase in 2015.

“Both our Grad Trips to Mana Island and Plantation Island have previously had 400- and 500-person limits; in 2015 we’re expanding this limit to 600 on each island to cater for the high demand from students,” Lynas said.

2. Luxury cruises: Cruises are looking to be a new and growing trend on the Schoolies horizon. For instance, Unleashed Travel’s new Fiji Cruise Grad Trip was offered quietly to students in 2014 with no promotion and had 70 students sign up.

3. European tours: Europe is in demand, and in response to the high volume of requests from students, Unleashed Travel launched a Europe Grad Trip in 2014 that visits 12 European cities as part of a 21-day winter getaway.

“Rather than taking a year out of their uni studies to backpack, students are looking to experience Europe earlier in life,” Lynas explained.

“These trips are trending as they’re an affordable and safe way to see what Europe has to offer and take the nightmare out of planning. We’re predicting Europe to be high on the agenda for our 2015 Grad Trips.”

4. Volunteering trips: Students are increasingly seeking travel where they can learn something new, experience different ways of life and develop as a person and as an adult.

“Many kids today have already travelled to places like the Gold Coast, Fiji and Bali by the time they’re 18, so they’re looking for something more memorable for their end-of-school celebration,” Lynas said.

“Volunteering packages are definitely trending – we saw a 35% growth in bookings for these types of trips in 2014.”

5. December the new hot month: No longer are students heading to the airport the minute their last exam is over. The three-week Schoolies period traditionally kicks off around 20 November, but an increasing number of students are waiting and booking their holidays towards 7 December instead.

“Bookings in the third week of Schoolies have grown by 50% compared to 2013. Students want to relax after their crazy end-of-year exam period and chill out before embarking on a holiday.” Lynas said.

For more information on the newly launched Fiji Cruise Grad Trip, or for details on any other Unleashed Travel packages, visit http://www.unleashedtravel.com.au.

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