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The week in travel: Gen Z travel trends, Air NZ's Skynest

NZ Herald
5 mins to read


Missed the big stories in Herald Travel this week? We've got you covered with a wrap of the best travel inspiration, traveller tales and top stories making news.

Cover story: How a new generation is redefining travel

What do Millennials and Gen Z want from travel?

This week we delved deep into what the next generation of travel looks like.

Writer Ewan McDonald unpicks the latest research on millennial and Gen Z travel.

"Both have had the opportunity to see the world – and they like it a lot. With cheaper airfares and a more connected society, they are travelling more than their Boomer counterparts (it's okay, that's the only time we'll use that word) did at the same age."

But McDonald says the two generations differ vastly when it comes to what they want in a travel experience, and what they're willing to do to get it.

Read more on this story here.

In the games room of the Moxy Boston, US. Photo / Supplied
In the games room of the Moxy Boston, US. Photo / Supplied

TravelDeputy Editor Maggie Wicks focused on the future of hotels and what younger travellers want and need. She says millennials and Gen Z have already inherited the earth.

"And as their influence and spending power grows, their travel desires - how they do it, why they do it, and what they want from it - are having a huge impact on the hotel industry," writes Wicks.

Read her full story here.

Inspiration for your next trip: The Pacific Crest Trail, USA

Elina Osborne left the comforts of home for the unforgiving climes of the Pacific Crest Trail.

Inspired to complete the trail after reading Cheryl Strayed's Wild, Osborne set out on a gruelling mission.

Atop Mt Whitney, Pacific Crest Trail. Photo / Elina Osborne
Atop Mt Whitney, Pacific Crest Trail. Photo / Elina Osborne

"There were 3am starts to avoid walking through afternoon slush, wet shoes, wet socks, wet feet all day, cold evenings, and even colder mornings when all I wanted to do was curl up in my sleeping bag and eat rationed food I knew I shouldn't. Elevation, climbing, river crossings. A month of this, and we all emerged from the sierras feeling like the most bad**s humans alive," write Osborne.

Discover what she learnt along the way here.

The debate: Air NZ's new Skynest sleep pods

One of the biggest things to happen to economy air travel history was unveiled by Air New Zealand this week.

The airline announced a sleeping pod prototype, with the goal of giving passengers an option to lie flat for a snooze for a few hours.

The details are still being worked out as the pods remain in development stage, but by all accounts, it sounds like it's going to be quite a hit with long-haul travellers.

Read Juliette Sivertsen's piece on the eternal struggle of sleeping on planes here.

Watch: the new Qantas air safety video

Qantas decided to go back in time for their new safety video.

Featuring '80s mullets and '70s moustaches, as well as 1940s flying boats and 1920s propeller aircraft, the video aims to celebrate 100 years of the national carrier's history.

Read the story behind the video here.

Travel tip of the week: mastering underwater photography

As part of our Next Generation issue, we asked 14-year-old award winning photographer
Cruz Erdmann for his tips on underwater photography.

The Westlake Boys High School student from Auckland won the Natural History Museum's international award for Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2019.

The photograph that won Cruz Erdmann the title of Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year. Bigfin reef squid, Indonesia. Photo / Cruz Erdmann
The photograph that won Cruz Erdmann the title of Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year. Bigfin reef squid, Indonesia. Photo / Cruz Erdmann

He says the number one tip is to perfect your buoyancy using only your lungs

"This is by far the most important skill to me as an underwater photographer. By using your lungs you change your position in the water with precision and accuracy," he says.

Read all his underwater photography tips here.

Quick hits: Travel News & Highlights

Dog left on Sydney tarmac angers passenger
Tourism in Antarctica: Edging toward the (risky) mainstream
How do you cleanse a cruise ship after coronavirus?
How to drink your duty free alcohol on a plane, legally
Coronavirus: Empty planes, ferries at popular holiday spots
Cleaning up the Galapagos Islands
'Overweight' flight attendant sacked by airline

Herald Travel Instagram image of the week:

Don't forget to follow us at @nzhtravel and tag us for a feature.

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How about those autumn colours 🍂⁠ ⁠ This gorgeous scene is from the Beehive Trail in Acadia National Park, New England. ⁠But it's beautiful year-round, not just in the autumn. ⁠ ⁠ "From spring through autumn continue your road trip along the Acadia All-American Road in Acadia National Park, New England's only national park," writes Susan Gough Henly in @nzhtravel's Sunday Travel. ⁠ "Wind your way along the rocky coastline and through woodland to the top of Cadillac Mountain for a panoramic view of the Maine coast and Atlantic Ocean."⁠ ⁠ For more on New England's best road trips and best stops along the way, see the link in our bio⬆️⁠ ⁠ 📸 Getty Images⁠ .⁠ .⁠ .⁠ .⁠ .⁠ .⁠ .⁠ #acadia #acadianationalpark #newengland #usatravel #ustravel #usaroadtrips #usroadtrip #autumncolours #fallcolours #autumnleaves #travellertips #traveltales #travelexperts #nzhtravel #heraldtravel #sundaytravel #experttravellers #travelwriter #traveljournalist #travelwriters #whereweare #portlandtravel #mainetravel #roadtrip #roadie #CadillacMountain⁠

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