2019 looks set to be a year for ‘living in the moment’ for Generation Z. The youngest generation is planning to take more short breaks in the UK and Europe in 2019 than last year, according to new research.

The YouGov survey involved more than 2,000 members of the British public last month and found that nearly a quarter of 18-24-year-olds (24%) had a list of things to achieve or experience this year, compared to the 18% of respondents of all ages that had a ‘bucket list’ of travel or experience related goals to achieve within their lifetime.

The most important factors when planning a holiday and experience based travel according to 18–24-year-olds are:

• Seeing new destinations that they have not visited before (60%)
• The opportunity to relax and slow down (54%)
• Sightseeing and ticking off seeing a cultural landmark (49%)
• Experiencing good value (40%)
• Eating local delicacies or at a particular restaurant (37%)
• The weather (33%)
• Having an adventure or experiencing a physical activity while away such as skiing, hiking or surfing (32%)
• Being able to post frequent traveller photos on social media (16%)
• Experiencing luxury (16%)
• Attending a cultural performance or event (15%)

Another important factor for respondents of all ages planning their leisure time is the opportunity to meet new people via group trips and excursions.

The survey also asked respondents of all ages to share the travel experiences they would like to have for the first time in 2019:

• See a natural phenomenon, such as the Northern Lights (41%)
• Eat at a Michelin star restaurant (18%)
• See an opera performance (12%)
• Visit a top attraction such as Disney World (12%)
• Attend a major sporting event such as Wimbledon (11%)
• See a ballet performance (10%)
• Attend a music festival (10%)
• Go to a comedy show (10%)
• Attend a major music concert (6%)
• Attend a football match (6%)

Katherine Scott at Super Break commented: “January is the perfect time to plan the year’s travel experiences, and it’s interesting to see young people are looking closer to home than the backpackers that went before them when it comes to choosing their ultimate break. The UK and Europe offer a treasure trove of incredible destinations to discover, sights to see and experiences to get involved in –we hope everyone planning their first micro gap adventure has a memorable trip away.”