Professor Ralf Buckley Millennials Seeking Adrenaline-Charged Holiday Escapes Interview

Professor Ralf Buckley Millennials Seeking Adrenaline-Charged Holiday Escapes Interview

It's official – we are a nation of outdoor adventure seekers.

New research commissioned by Ski and Ride New Zealand on Australians' holiday preferences reveals 77% of Aussies prefer getaways where they can be outdoors, with more than two in five (44%) more likely to forgo a metro city break in favour of activity filled holidays including skiing and snowboarding.

Why are droves of Australians flocking to these outdoor getaways? The study reveals almost all of us (96%) place importance on a holiday where we can relieve stress and forget about our worries, with Gen Y feeling this most. Living by the -you only live once' motto, young Aussies are most likely to enjoy a holiday with a choice of snow, sports, activities and adventure as they offer experience like no other, with 62% motivated by embracing unique experiences like a thrill-seeking snow getaway.

Ski and Ride New Zealand's research indicates that almost a third of tech-connected millennials have a desire to unplug and disconnect when they're on holiday. Four in five (79%) of the younger generation enjoy a holiday where they are uncontactable for at least part of the time. Almost half (47%) of Gen Y admit they spend too much time online when on beach and city breaks, with an increasing amount (16%) choosing an adrenaline-charged break, such as skiing and snowboarding, over any other type of getaway.

Generation Y, the group which has been steeped in technology and social media from an early age, is looking for a proper -escape' when on holiday, with the desire to unplug completely (31%) an important motive in flocking to adventure escapes. When on holiday, millennials are seeking relief from worries through natural adrenaline rushes, with 45% citing this as why they're heading to action packed getaways.

Adventure tourism expert Professor Ralf Buckley from Griffith University says these rush-giving activities such as extreme sports, skiing and snowboarding are increasingly popular and actually addictive. "The stress relief associated with this addiction proves beneficial for wellbeing, so it's a good addiction," he says.

Almost two in five (37%) of Gen Y snow goers have a self-confessed addiction to adventure sports, heading to the slopes to get their adrenaline fix. With a strong dedication to the snow, a quarter (26%) of Gen Y would even give up their job to embark on a snow adventure escape. 74% of Gen Y snow-goers go so far as to claim they are -snow addicts' - identifiable by the obsessive ways and the extreme lengths they go to hit the slopes.

These snow addict symptoms are displayed in -Snow Addicts': a comedic video featuring snow addicted sporting champions including free-ski legend, Janina Kuzma. They've chosen to get their fix at the most popular international snow destination for Aussie snow enthusiasts, New Zealand's Southern Alps. In fact, 34% of snow goers are more likely to choose the New Zealand slopes over destinations like the USA, Canada and Europe.

Ski and Ride New Zealand spokesperson Sarah O'Donnell says, 'Queenstown and Wanaka are home to four beautiful ski resorts – Cardrona, Treble Cone, The Remarkables and Coronet Peak – and we're calling Aussie adrenaline addicts to jump on the three hour flight to Queenstown airport and get their fix in the Southern Alps this season."

To view the Snow Addicts video and find out more information on the Southern Lakes region as a travel destination, go to: www.skiandride.nz/snowaddicts

Interview with Professor Ralf Buckley

Question: Why do you believe Gen Y's are turning to adrenaline-charged holiday escapes?

Professor Ralf Buckley: First, what do we know about Gen Y? Stereotypically, they expect change rather than stability, they focus on lifestyle rather than career, and they treat their time and money as discretionary rather than investment. They have money, and they are ready to buy experiences. Also, they are still at an age where thrills are important. So they should be an ideal market sector for adventure tourism. But, academic research in adventure tourism has not generally been segmented this way. It has focussed on activities, not generations. So most of what we know is not specific to Gen Y.

Second, what do we know about adventure addiction? Recent research shows that adventure activities are indeed addictive. Of course it is a behavioural addiction, not a substance addiction. One can become addicted to rush, thrill with skill. It's a good addiction, because rush experiences relieve stress, so they make people happy and productive in the rest of their lives. It also makes life easier for adventure tourism marketers, because – at least for more skilled and experienced participants - they are basically selling fixes to addicts.

Third, how does that apply to skiing and snowboarding? Skiing and snowboarding definitely involve rush, and most importantly, there is a high degree of reliability. Many adventure activities are heavily dependent on unpredictable conditions, such as surf and wind. Of course skiing depends on snow, but once the season is well under way, the snow is already there, so buying lift tickets pretty much guarantees good opportunities for rush. That's one major reason why skiing and snowboarding are such popular sports, big enough to fund the capital for giant permanent infrastructure. You know you'll get your fix.


Question: What types of adrenaline-charged holiday escapes are we talking about?

Professor Ralf Buckley: All kinds of adventure tourism. Skiing, snowboarding, surfing, white-water rafting, mountaineering, rock-climbing, skydiving, paragliding, bungy jumping ect.


Question: Where are these destinations?

Professor Ralf Buckley: Different destinations for different activities. There is a whole geography of adventure tourism which reflects the best sites, access, costs, safety issues, fashion etc. There is a chapter on this topic in one of my books, with maps for different activities.


Question: Is a huge part of stress relief the disconnect from technology whilst on these escapes?

Professor Ralf Buckley: No, not really. Most people stay connected. Mobile smartphone tech means that people can do adrenalin activities during the day but still catch up with either work or friends when they stop for coffee, for lunch, in the evenings etc. They use Snapchat and Instagram etc all day. It is only a few people who take holidays which are out of phone range. And most commercial adventure trips will take satellite phones, Blackberries etc


Question: Does this surprise you when Gen Y are also known for being addicted to technology?

Professor Ralf Buckley: Not at all, it makes perfect sense that they can stay connected at the same time as adventure activities. Even multi-day backcountry hikers take their phones. Some carry solar panel rechargers.

Question: What stress are Gen Y often trying to escape?

Professor Ralf Buckley: Same as everyone else – work, mostly! Also, adventure holidays are not only to escape stress. People take them for positive fun.


Question: What are -snow addicts'?

Ski and Ride New Zealand: Snow addicts are skiers and snowboarders who are in love, and even obsessed, with their sport. Snow addicts have many traits in common with each other in terms of quirks, obsessive ways and the extreme lengths they go to for a -powder' fix. They are bold, boundary-pushing and think of the snow as a way of life rather than a weather phenomenon.


Question: Do Gen Y have a higher addiction to the adrenaline fix (and YOLO lifestyle) than those older?

Professor Ralf Buckley: My guess would be yes, see general comments above, but I don't have research on this myself.


Interview by Brooke Hunter