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8 April, 2022

Social travel: The new way of travel that’s captured Aussies’ attention

There’s a new style of travel that’s becoming quite popular and it’s set to be in high demand as travel reboots.

Social travel, as this new style is known, is bringing a group of like-minded people together on a trip designed around the idea that people’s experiences are heightened when shared with others.

Contiki has conducted research into social travel, revealing 97 per cent of Australians have a positive feeling toward the concept and the tour company speculates these numbers are high because we have been denied basic human social connections throughout the pandemic.

Whilst geographically the numbers for interest in social travel are close, it seems those on the mature side of the youth market have more feels for social travel.

88 per cent of 18-24-year-olds had a positive feeling toward social travel whilst this increased in the 25-35’s to 93 per cent.

But what is so attractive? Study participants suggested that people associate social travel mostly with new experiences (72 per cent), making friends (64 per cent) and good memories (59 per cent).

“Interestingly only half of the participants stated ‘sharing experiences’ as one of the appeals of Social Travel, but this dramatically increases to almost 98% once the trip has concluded. The biggest shift in any of the original appeals,” Contiki CMO Simon Llanos said.

“So whilst we might not initially realise its appeal our unconscious does and craves this kind of connection, our sensory experience is changed depending on whether it is shared or not.

“The shared is more intense than unshared, leaving it as the number one appeal on exit surveys. Our job is to help our travellers understand this before they depart – it’s going to be great,” Llanos concluded.

Contiki knew from previous surveys on solo travel that 72 per cent of respondents would travel solo, but nervousness or loneliness of solo travel was the biggest prohibitor at almost 50 per cent.

“It stands to reason that a Contiki Social Travel trip filled with travellers on the same wavelength enhancing each other’s experience would be an ideal fit for a solo traveller,” Natasha Lawrence, commercial and product development director at Contiki said.

“Travellers meet people from all over the world, both travelling solo and in small groups, but all aligned on having the best time ever.

“It’s nice to know you can get this great travel experience even if your friends are pro ghosters when it comes to actually sorting the details.”

As to whether social travel will be the future of travel or if it might be a passing fad is up in the air, but it is a very interesting opportunity for people looking to get back out in the world after the pandemic.

Featured Image: Contiki/YouTube

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Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au

contiki Natasha Lawrence Simon Llanos Social travel solo travel