Gen Z and Millennial holidaymakers are fuelling the trend for nostalgic travel by returning to holiday destinations they visited as a child.
The 2025 Hilton Trends Report predicted that 58% of travellers with children will want to return to destinations they visited as kids, known as “nostalgification”.
While Campspot’s 2025 Travel Trends Report also revealed the rise of “nostalgification,” with 72% of travellers seeking nostalgic outdoor trips.
Now a study from Jet2Holidays has found that 82% of Gen Z and 75% of Millennial Brits have returned to a holiday spot from their childhood.
Over half of Gen Z aged 18-24 (55%) have even chosen to repeat a childhood holiday to the same destination with their parents again, and a third (33%) of Millennials are also doing the same.
The survey shows that both Gen Z (53%) and Millennials (40%) say that their most cherished childhood memories are of a summer holiday with family which could explain the desire for nostalgic travel among younger generations with over a third (35%) of adult Gen Z travelling to a childhood destination to reflect on memories, and 31% of Millennials wanting to remind themselves of what brought them joy as a child.
For millennials, curiosity is also a primary motivator with 34% saying they’ve returned to a childhood destination to see how it’s changed.
The study shows that Millennials are passing along their favoured holiday traditions to their family too, with 70% saying they’ve introduced their loved ones to a favourite childhood holiday spot.
In fact, over half of Millennial parents (52%) have chosen to take their children to a favourite childhood destination, with almost two-thirds (60%) say passing on holiday traditions to their children is important to them.
Some ideas for nostalgic holidays that agents could book for clients include:
Route 66 roadtrips: A proliferation of neon signs light up the most famous stretch of road on the planet, which also happens to be lined with retro diners, old fashioned motels and historic landmarks, for a step back in time. The road has appeared in plenty of well-know movies, such as Thelma and Louise and Easy Rider, which provide a strong selling hook. Additionally, next year the road turns 100 years old, with a calendar of events making it the ideal time to take a trip down memory lane.
Hanoi: The Vietnamese capital invites travellers to linger and reflect on the past. Wander the Old Quarter with its maze of narrow streets, colonial architecture, and family-run shops that have remained largely unchanged for decades. Influences from French Indochina, traditional Vietnamese life, and echoes of the resilience during the Vietnam, create an atmospheric, sprawling cityscape.
Helsinki: Many Millennials will have grown up in the minimalist 90s, characterised by Scandanavian design which was popular in many homes. Children’s books and cartoons from this era include the Moomins, which was created by a Finnish author. Clients should head to Helsinki to experience the Moominworld theme park, vintage Nordic toy stores, and Scandi aesthetics.
Transylvania: Imposing castles, old Saxon villages, and dark forests conjure up images from the Grimms’ Fairy Tales. In addition to its literary links with Dracula, Transylvania, and much of Romania, still provides a preserved version of central Europe harking back to days long gone. Travellers should visit here, and other Baltic states, to take a journey back in time to ‘old’ Europe.
Book it: Millennials and Gen Z can revisit a holiday from their youth in the Canary Islands, this time with their own family. Seven nights in Tenerife, staying at the 4 star Paradise Park Fun Lifestyle Hotel on a half-board basis, departs from Manchester on August 30. Priced at £719pp based on two adults and two children, includes a 22kg baggage allowance and return transfers.
