Travel is so important to Millennials that 57 percent of them would give up sex for a chance to traverse the globe for free for six months, according to a new survey.
Contiki, a travel company that caters specifically to 18-35 year-olds, recently surveyed more than 1,500 Millennials to ask what they would be willing to sacrifice in exchange for a globe-trotting adventure.
The answer: A lot.
In addition to sex, a majority (80 percent) of Millennials would give up
Netflix, and 73 percent said they would quit drinking
alcohol
for a free chance to travel.
Another 77 percent said they would sacrifice coffee, while 60 percent would swear off carbohydrates like pizza and bread.
Less than half (41 percent) were willing to part with their cell phone for a chance at a free trip – and 49 percent say they spend 8-10 hours a day on their device.
Many Millennials explore the world on their own pretty regularly, with 48 percent saying they take a trip 1-2 times a year and 35 percent saying they travel 3-5 times a year. That means that most Millennials are usually either just getting back from a trip or planning their next one at any given moment.
In addition, 51 percent of Millennials spend at least 1-3 hours researching where to stay when they travel, and about the same amount (50 percent) spend the another 1-3 hours reading reviews on travel sites in advance of each trip.
Research by Harris Group has already shown that 78 percent of Millennials prefer to spend money on life experiences rather than on material things.
A majority (77 percent) said that their best memories have been from events or life experiences, and 69 percent said they believe participating in events and experiential moments make them more connected to other people, the community and the world.
Millennials are also highly motivated by the fear of missing out, with 69 percent saying they experience 'FOMO.'
In addition, Contiki found that 73 percent of Millennials said they have regrets about opportunities they didn't pursue. It would seem travel is priority that young people don't want to miss out on.
In fact, nearly 40 percent of Millennials would happily take a 10 percent pay cut in exchange for traveling the world, according to LinkedIn data.
In addition, nearly a quarter (23 percent) of people age 25-33 report that they've taken a career break to re-evaluate what they really want to do with their lives.
Millennials have different priorities when it comes to work, which may lead to them traveling more often than their older cohorts.
More than half (51 percent) prioritize having flexibility in their hours and location of work, according to a survey by Deloitte.
In addition, Millennials may be less committed to their jobs, with 34 percent saying they expect to stay in their current position less than two years.