In the ‘60s and ‘70s there was a generation that left a mark on all aspects of life. The characteristics and lifestyle of the Baby Boomers was felt during that time. The Baby Boomers made way for Generation X and nowadays we have Generation Y, also known as the Millennials.
Yuccies – Young Urban Creatives – are a part of this generation and right now their influence is especially noticeable when it comes to traveling. How are Yuccies shaping travel? I would like to give you my vision on this subject, after explaining who the Millennials and Yuccies are.
The Millennials and the Yuccies
Millennials were born between 1981 and 2000. They are known for living with their parents longer, marrying at an older age and having a different hierarchy of needs based on must-haves (Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research).
Another important Millennial issue is health. That’s why they drink less, smoke less and exercise more. You can subdivide the Millennial generation intro different types. One of those is the Yuccie, or Young Urban Creative. Like David Infate says; “Yuccies are born of suburban comfort, indoctrinated with the transcendent power of education, and infected by the conviction that not only do we deserve to pursue our dreams; we should profit from them”.
So these people are shaping travel this century, but how? I can tell you about my idea of this development by telling you about my trip to South Asia, seeing myself as a Yuccie.
The ‘unusual’ places
A year ago I went to South Asia and traveled to Bangladesh, India and Nepal. Us Yuccies like to travel to the ‘less usual’ countries and especially the ‘less usual’ restaurants and shops. Why? Because we want to explore the world, visit as many countries as we can and experience different cultures.
We want to get to know the culture of a country in a very pure condition, which is why we prefer to avoid places with a lot of tourists. There is nothing better than being the first one visiting that cool antique bookshop or another unique, undiscovered place.
Take it easy
Furthermore, I feel that Yuccies are very relaxed people.
We don’t plan a lot before going on a trip and resolve it by being our creative and social selves. For example, I started my trip in Nepal and all I had with me was my backpack. So, when I arrived at my destination, I didn’t have a place to stay just yet, made no reservations for a hostel. This didn’t turn out to be a huge problem, seeing how I met other backpackers who were willing to help me out (backpackers always help each other out!) This shows that you’re actually not alone during your trip.
Mobile phone and social media
Now you might think: you really don’t prepare anything? We never said that, there are some things that require a form of planning. We check where we want to go, what types of medicine and clothing we need and things like that. But why put a lot of time in preparing useless stuff when traveling can be an adventure?
Unfortunately, though Millennials and Yuccies love adventure, we also love our PC’s, laptops, tablets and phones. Social Media, email, texting and calling – staying in touch while traveling is a piece of cake. Because we grew up in a digital environment, we also know how to find everything we need online.
How does this translate to traveling? Well, if we need prepaid credit we buy it online on www.recharge.com, we can find hotels and hostels through mobile apps, routes etc. All with our mobile devices!
In conclusion, Millennials, and especially Yuccies, are shaping travel with their characteristics; checking out new and/or unknown places, only being prepared for the necessary, taking it easy and solving problems by being creative.
Let me know what your view is on this generation! And how will the next generation (Generation Z, also known as Boomlets) influence the way we travel?
And wow will do it in the future?