While the overwhelming majority of people travel to learn about other places, younger and less experienced travelers are more likely to travel to learn about themselves, according to a new study by United Arab Emirates real estate portal Bayut.com. The company surveyed over 1,200 people from the United States and UK about their travel goals to compile the report.
According to the study, the overwhelming majority of travelers – 78 percent or more across country of origin, age and travel experience – take trips to learn more about other places. At the same time, younger travelers and less experienced travelers are more likely to take trips to learn about themselves: 9.4 percent and 7.9 percent of Gen Z and Millennial travelers, respectively, take trips for this reason, as compared to 6.7 percent and 5.4 percent of Gen Xers and Baby Boomers. In terms of travel experience, 11.5 percent of beginner travelers take trips to learn about themselves, as opposed to 6.3 percent of intermediate travelers and 5.9 percent of seasoned travelers.
The reason for travel changes by country of origin, too: Americans in the study were 10 percent more likely than respondents from the UK to say that traveling provided them with a sense of fulfillment and a closer bond with their travel partners.
In terms of destinations, Japan topped the “dream travel list” for both beginner and veteran travelers. Japan was also most popular among travelers from the United States, along with Italy and France. Additionally, nearly 82 percent of travelers had a specific destination they most wanted to see in the world, while only 17 percent said that they enjoyed traveling but had no definitive destinations in mind.
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