Gone are the days of the backpacker. No longer are Australia’s youth strapping a pack to their back and setting off for an overseas adventure on a budget. Forget shared dorm rooms and communal bathrooms, it seems a new variety of Australian tourist has emerged. These young flashpackers are typically aged between 18 and 24 with plenty of disposable income and little to no big household expenditures. With no mortgage tying them down, it seems young Aussie travellers would rather spend big on holidays than homes.
According to a recent Australia-wide survey conducted by Nielsen and commissioned by peak industry group Tourism and Transport Forum Australia (TTF), young people in Australia are increasingly choosing to invest their money in experiences like travel rather than more tangible assets such as car or home ownership.
“The days of young people travelling with little more than…