The future belongs to youth travel: the New Horizons Report III of the WYSE Travel Confederation forecasts a 59 per cent increase in the market over the next ten years, proving that the younger generation travels farther, stays longer and is more interconnected than ever before.
From 6 to 10 March at ITB Berlin, trade visitors and the general public can get a comprehensive overview of the latest youth travel services on offer.
In Hall 4.1 some 40 exhibitors, including backpacker, budget and designer hotels, youth hostels, internet portals and associations, as well as organisers of language study trips and youth travel will be presenting their products.
For the first time Italy, represented by Tuscany, and the newly established Federal Association of School Trip Organisers will be presenting their tailormade programmes for young travellers in the Youth Travel & Economy Accommodation segment at the World’s Largest Travel Trade Show.
Specialist information – from digitalisation to school trips
From 6 to 8 March a wide-ranging programme focusing on digitalisation, the legal aspects of travelling and school trips awaits visitors to the Youth Incoming Germany Lounge (YIG).
On Wednesday, this industry event will open with a newcomer. Carsten Herold, a member of the board, will introduce the newly established Federal Association of Leading School Trip Organisers.
Afterwards, five companies will present their business models at anInnovation Forum event moderated by the holiday camp organiser Juvigo. Jugendreisen.digital will present new ideas with its all-in-one solution for the digital transformation, and Bookacamp will showcase innovative digitalisation products ranging from a reservation system to a complete customer communications programme.
With its distribution system, the online reservation system bookingkit will highlight a digital infrastructure that networks destinations, travel agencies and sales channels, and supervises them in real time.
The Belgian platform KampAdmin will have information on how intelligently automated work processes can help youth camp organisers to save time organising children’s camps. Being ‘offline’ will be the final topic: Camp Breakout is Germany’s first digital detox holiday camp for adults. It will highlight how the market for trips where people converse face-to-face instead of via social media is now developing.
On 7 March, the Thursday of ITB, the National Youth Travel Forum will present the latest regulations on ’Youth travel: liability, legal aspects when travelling, domiciliary rights and data protection’.
Afterwards, representatives of the travel network German Youth Travel Organisation and the Association of German Language Study Trips (FDSV) will have information on the latest developments concerning uniform standards for youth travel.
EYCard Deutschland GmbH will also demonstrate uses for the European Youth Card. The day’s final topic will be ’bullying’. Helden e.V. will highlight how the socio-psychological effects of anti-bullying training can be put to use on school and youth trips.
On 8 March, the Friday of this year’s ITB, the ’school trip licence’ will once again be a topic. Teachers can get information on various issues to do with school trips: they include legal aspects, safety, travel by coach, as well as teaching away from schools and anti-bullying training. An invitation by Hochschule Bremen to meet and network will round off the day’s events.
China’s youth travel market is growing
As the world’s new driving force in tourism, China has become important for young people.
On Thursday, 7 March, on the Center Stage in Hall 4.1 the subject will be the impact of China’s youth travel market on global tourism. Guoxiang Wu, SVP, International & Corporate Relations, China Southern Airlines, Changle Yang, COO, TUJIA Roland Elter, chief commercial officer, Maritim Hotels, Glen Fu, co-founder and CEO, 54traveler, and David Chapman, director general of the World Youth, Student and Education Travel Confederation, will debate this topic. The event will be moderated by Joseph Wang, chief Commercial officer, TravelDaily China.
Items discussed will include how, under the influence of technological change, the travel behaviour of China’s millennials has shifted in terms of what inspires them, how they plan and book trips, how new media platforms such as WeChat, user-generated content (UGC) and live video streaming are influencing them, and how travel operators are taking these changing demands into account to develop products and communicate brands.
Workshops touch the nerve of a generation keen on travelling
At numerous workshops the World Youth Student and Educational (WYSE) Travel Confederation and other experts exhibiting at the show will examine today’s youth travel market. David Chapman, director general, WYSE Travel Confederation: “The Youth Travel Hall at ITB Berlin will offer a really cool experience and present the main youth travel trends.
The workshops of the WYSE Travel Confederation will provide a breath of fresh air for new ideas – from ultra-modern hostel concepts and youth wellness tours to programming a boot camp for up-and-coming digital nomads. In order to be successful in the travel market you have to understand what young travellers want.“
Fair travel for YOUth on the open weekend for the public
Just like adventure holidays, sustainable travel is becoming more and more important for the younger generation. For the YIG the focus of the weekend will be on sustainable travel for young people and children.
Students from Hochschule Bremen will give an entertaining presentation on how people of all ages can travel around Germany with a minimum carbon footprint.
For example, they can find out what their actual carbon emissions are whenever they go on holiday. Visitors can also take part in a dancing competition to find out how good they are at partying. After travelling around Germany the participants can look forward to a little surprise.
