New Horizons in Independent Youth and Student Travel
Richards & Wilson, September 2003 1
Preface
This study began four years ago as a modest ISTC project to compile a review of existing studies
on the characteristics of the modern student traveller and research on the student travel market.
The ISTC sought help from the world’s leading travel research authorities and came up with the
same answer each time; that there was almost no market research on this sector.
But it was an accepted fact that students and young people are the fastest growing travel niche,
accounting for one in five international travellers. They are served by a multi billion dollar specialist
niche industry that has grown and become increasingly sophisticated in meeting their specialist
demands and is arguably the most successful niche market in the travel industry.