Multiple trend observers have highlighted the growing lifestyle trend of long-term travel. Brought on by recession, the trend has college graduates and baby boomers that have had difficulty securing employment setting out for open-ended trips.
The current recessionary climate has made it incredibly difficult for recent college graduates to find jobs. The Wall Street Journal reports that some have even stopped trying. According to recent figures from the National Association of Colleges and Employees, only 59% of graduating seniors are already looking for work, compared to last year’s 75%. And only 40% have already applied.
Consumer research firm Iconoculture refers to this phenomena as the Odyssey Year, characterizing it as just another form of Millennial high-risk financial behavior.” Iconoculture also adds that downsized baby boomers are contributing to the globetrotting trend: many opt for the combination of a steady Social Security check and travel, as opposed to a stressful job hunt.
This suggests that the look of travel and vacation imagery will increasingly skew away from families, where parents struggle to cut out unnecessary spending and work harder to keep their jobs, postponing recreational getaways. Instead, images will focus on the youngest and oldest travelers engaged in low-cost travel and tourism activities.