Keeping fit now vital part of vacation for 80% of young holidaymakers, millennial travelers give up beach and beer for fitness travel

• Welfie over swimsuit selfie: Young holidaymakers now more likely to upload their sweaty workout selfie, or Welfie, than a sexy swimwear shot
• Fitfluencers: Over half (59%) of under 35s claim body positive celebrities and social media ‘fitfluencers’ are main inspiration for holiday workouts  
• Fitness before food: Top-notch hotel fitness facilities are now the most important vacay consideration (34%), compared to proximity of good restaurants (27%) and nightlife (9%)  

Hotels.com™ has released new data revealing a new wave of young travelers who are swapping beaches and beers for action-packed, celebrity-inspired fitness getaways, with this summer expected to see a boom in ‘welfies’ – workout selfies. Results from the Hotels.com Activacations Survey show that a whopping 80% of 18-35 year olds now consider keeping fit one of the most important parts of their holiday experience.

The survey carried out by travel experts Hotels.com shows that the rise of the ‘activacation’ is also down to a barrage of social media ‘fitfluencers’ who are combining sun, sea and sport.  Social media is poised for the ‘welfie’ to make waves this summer with young holidaymakers now more likely to upload a sweaty workout selfie (16%) than a sexy swimwear shot (10%).   

Millennial travelers are generally looking for richer, more unusual holiday experiences and admit that they use exercise to meet new people (27%) and explore new places from an alternative perspective (32%). Wanting to create unique memories (42%) and prove that they’re making the most of their holiday on social media (29%) also ranked highly.  

Many holidaymakers are happy to give up top-notch food (42%), relaxing, (38%), sightseeing (32%) and even alcohol (24%) to get their fitness fix on vacation. Fitness is now so ingrained in the holiday experience, demand for superior fitness experiences from hotels has also reached a new high. State-of-the-art fitness facilities (26%), personal training (20%), healthy menus (25%) and free wearable fitness tech (17%) all feature high on the hotel wish list.

Whilst men seek to take part in extreme physical activities on vacation, such as cross-fit (12%), beach boot-camp (12%) and wakeboarding (16%), a quarter (25%) of women are opting for holistic wellness holidays with meditation, yoga and tai chi topping the activacation agenda. The top five activities travellers would be prepared to try are: 

• Strength and body weight training (69%)
• Mountaineering (45%)
• Personal training (34%)
• HIIT swimming (26%)
• Hot yoga (25%)

Isabelle Pinson from Hotels.com brand comments: “We love that people are seeing sport as a way to have more rewarding holiday experiences. There’s been a real evolution in holiday priorities and millennial travelers in particular now demand more from a trip. Fitness options are now so important that millennials are choosing hotels based on how they’ll help them keep fit on vacation.”

Top wellness hotels around the world

Rosewood London, London

The Fitness Suite at Rosewood London combines a contemporary design with the latest cutting-edge gym equipment from Technogym providing a calming and luxury environment for the ultimate workout. Set over two rooms, it is bathed in natural daylight and, with a wide range of state of the art equipment, will help you easily reach your goals leading to a healthy, balanced lifestyle. Rosewood London is available from 499 € per room per night. 

The Westin Verasa Napa, California 

Thanks to its new Gear Lending Programme, guests of The Westin Verasa Napa have access to New Balance shoes and clothing during their stay. Go it alone or have the running concierge take you out through wine country. The gym and pool offer more fitness-focused options and the special SuperFoods Rx menu ensures meals are always healthy. The Westin Verasa Napa is available from 290 € per room per night.

1711 Ti Sana Detox Retreat & Spa, Milan

Perfect for detox, weight management and lifestyle improvement, guests are invited to revitalize and heal in this tranquil environment. Offering a comprehensive approach to wellness, Ti Sana’s signature ‘Healtheatarian’ tailored wellness programmes combine organic vegan nutrition, therapeutic physical activity and holistic therapies to ensure guests leave feeling rested and refreshed. The 1711 Ti Sana Detox Retreat & Spa is available from 152 € per room per night.

Park Hyatt Tokyo, Tokyo

A 47th floor sky-scraping gym! The gymnasium and aerobics studio flank either side of the pool on the sky-lit 47th floor of the hotel, giving jaw-dropping views of the Tokyo cityscape and the sacred slopes of Mt. Fuji. The gym is equipped with LifeFitness weight training and fitness equipment, and personal trainers assist guests and members with tailored fitness programmes. Of course, you can always just do some laps too. The pool is amazing. The Park Hyatt Tokyo is available from 469 € per room per night.  

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For further information, please contact the Hotels.com press office on sophie.jansson@cohnwolfe.com

Notes to Editors:

*Survey of 8400 adults across 28 countrues, carried out by OnePoll between 31st March 2017 and 21st June 2017. All statistics included in the release come from this survey.

Prices quoted include taxes and fees and are subject to availability at the time of booking

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