“Splurget travel” on the rise for young Australians
To scrimp or to splurge? New travel trend combines the best of both.
A new travel trend is emerging and it’s all about including a little bit of luxury in an otherwise budget holiday.
Dubbed “splurget travel”, the idea is to plan your trip around typical budget options, like hostels, budget airlines and street food, and then use the money you’ve saved to splurge on a small portion of the trip.
Think dinner in a Michelin starred restaurant in Paris, a helicopter tour over the Grand Canyon, a hot air balloon ride over Cappadocia or renting your own private yacht in Dubai.
According to Skyscanner, 71% of young Aussies (18-29 year olds) have started to embrace splurget travel and 63% said that they would consider taking a splurget holiday in the future, indicating that they would scrimp on certain parts of their holiday if it means they can indulge in other areas.
Looking at older Australians, those in their 30s are also adopting the "splurget" travel approach but travellers 40 and above were less inclined to travel this way, possibly due to their greater spending power.
Michael Grierson, Skyscanner Senior Manager said, “It is possible for Aussie travellers to have it all when on holiday, simply by adopting the splurget approach to their trip. With a little planning, travellers can experience culture - on the cheaper side – and luxury all in the one holiday."
Diving deeper into the underlying motivation for taking on a splurget holiday revealed two key factors. Firstly, is the desire to have an authentic local experience without compromising on the need for self-pampering. Secondly, is that splurging and scrimping selectively was seen as an effective way of managing a travel budget.
The research found that younger Australians are more willing to spend it up on activities like private tours, spa treatments and cultural experiences. Just under half of millennials (43%) said they would save a chunk of their budget for a unique activity, while 19% said they would invest in luxury accommodation for a night or two.
On the saving side, the top things that Aussies were willing to scrimp on are flights (53%), accommodation (16%) and local transport (12%).
How to scrimp on travel
- Pick the cheapest period to travel - Check out our Destination Guides including the best time to visit each location.
- Make sure you’re getting the best deals on flights.
- Book a flight with stopovers - These can often save you money over a direct flight.
- Fly with a budget airline.
For some splurget inspiration, check out these 18 destinations where a 5-star stay costs less than $200 per night and this list of the cheapest places to holiday where you can get the most bang for your buck.
