The State of Student Travel

Although travel trends continuously ebb and flow with the zeitgeist of our world today, student travel remains an enduring tradition. From day-long field trips to multiday interstate tours, youth travel planners and operators continue to craft experiences that are immersive, educational, and memorable for young explorers of all ages—even as global uncertainty and increased travel costs continue to reshape the industry.

The Student & Youth Travel Association (SYTA) recently released its “Student Travel Business Barometer Annual Report 2024,” a survey comprising responses from 59 tour operators across nine countries—about 60-65% of whom are based in the U.S. According to the report, about 848,000 students traveled domestically last year, falling short of the forecasted 861,000. This is a 2% drop from 2023, but it’s still a 104% surge compared to pre-pandemic numbers in 2019. The SYTA report attributes this slight dip to economic pressure and an increased emphasis on alternative educational experiences, like extracurricular activities and immersive learning programs.

For young American travelers, the top U.S. destinations last year were Washington, D.C.; New York; and Orlando, Florida. Top tour themes are centered on the performing arts and education, comprising 39% and 38% of all student trips last year, respectively. Although the data shows fewer students traveled last year, trip duration trends remained consistent. Typical group sizes dropped to 55 students, versus 62, in 2023. The data also shows that domestic travel costs ranged from $248 per student for one-day trips to $2,156 per student for four-day multistate trips. “A growing interest in themed travel also emerged,” the report states, “with arts, sports, and science-focused trips gaining in popularity.”

The report also states that motorcoach travel remains a key transportation option for North American student group trips, but rising costs have impacted affordability and demand. As a result, operators have reported that some schools are finding it difficult to justify multiday or long-distance trips. Last year, 64% of trips were booked via motorcoach, and 36% were via flight.

“Nonetheless,” the report continues, “the total number of motorcoach trips is increasing, rising from 3,998 in 2024 to an expected 4,156 in 2026.”

International travel, however, saw a 17% decline from 2023. The report cites an expected decline from post-pandemic recovery numbers, safety concerns, and increased travel costs as the contributing factors behind this decline. For North American travelers, the most popular destination last year was the United Kingdom (51%), followed by the United States (7%) and France (6%).

TRANSFORMATIONAL TRIPS

Luke Liddle, director of the U.K.-based Independent Schools Cultural Alliance (ISCA), has built his entire career around crafting immersive and educational travel experiences for students all around the world. ISCA is a three-week summer program that brings students and teachers from countries like the U.S., Argentina, Japan, Uruguay, Brazil, Peru, and South Africa to the U.K. to learn about its history and culture. Liddle took over the program in 2014, when attendance had dipped to 67 students.

Today, up to 350 teenage students participate each summer. When educators sign up to participate, Liddle visits each school to meet with parents and answer questions. In the months leading up to each July session, ISCA does bimonthly Zoom calls with participating students to prepare them for the trip, make introductions, and have each student complete a presentation on a culture that is not their own. Over the course of the program, students will learn about and visit dozens of sites across the U.K. According to Liddle, preparation is key, and variety comes in as a close second.

“The sites they enjoy the most are the ones they’re most prepared for,” Liddle explains. “Understanding generally equals enjoyment.” But, for Liddle, facilitating meaningful tours is about more than simply reading off facts—it’s also about paying attention to individual interests, allowing for independent exploration, and fostering global friendships.

“What we’ve found is that our schools—they need more,” Liddle says. “If you’re doing a travel program, it needs to not just be transactional. It needs to be properly transformational for the students.”

Liddle adds that this is especially important now that the costs of travel are becoming so high, pointing out that airfare fees have nearly doubled since 2019. He says students can tick off sites on their list and take their obligatory photos with their parents. With educators, though, travel should be about more than that. It should be about trying new things and seeing history and culture from a new perspective.

So, how do educators and tour planners accomplish this? ISCA does hands-on workshops before each site visit. For example, before visiting the HMS Victory—a wooden ship that sailed in the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805—students reenact the battle using water balloons. Lessons like these are more immersive and engaging, adding some fun to the history lesson. Students want learning to be active, not passive, Liddle explains.

Another important factor to remember is that no two students are the same. Liddle says recognizing these different interests in their students is a “superpower” among educators, but it can be easy to lose track of that superpower when traveling.

“When we go on field trips, we completely forget about that,” he shares. “We assume everyone’s experience will be the same with the same input. So, in a class, we would have five inputs, because each kid is different; whereas, on our field trip, we just give them one. We say, ‘This is your preparation. Go and enjoy it.’ There’s no differentiation.”

Liddle says this common pitfall can be avoided by allowing students to decide which elements of the trip they’d like to experience. Identify locations that have different aspects of history, culture, art, or entertainment for students to explore independently.

On that note, Liddle says it’s also vital to keep group sizes small. ISCA maintains a ratio of one chaperone per five students. While he acknowledges that this might be a bit more expensive, he argues that the benefits far outweigh the cost. Maybe you’ll end up fitting fewer things into your itinerary to balance out the cost, but doing less can often be better.

“Nothing annoys me more than a group of people walking together in a big, long snake—walking through, eyes down, follow the person ahead,” Liddle adds. “They could be anywhere. Sometimes you must do that for safety, but when we’re in the sites, we only go places where students can break off and explore.”

BREAKING BARRIERS

Of course, as the statistics suggest, youth travel does not come without its challenges. Cost, Liddle says, is the greatest barrier.

“I think it would be really easy to say ‘global uncertainty,’ but tell me a time in the last 30 years when there hasn’t been,” he explains. “It’s always easy to think now is worse than ever, but my biggest challenge on a day-to-day basis is actually looking at the price that we end up with and going, ‘Wow, how is it so expensive?’ I know where every penny goes, and I still believe the cost is too high.”

Still, that global uncertainty shouldn’t be underplayed. As Liddle puts it, “When America coughs, the world catches a cold.” Factors like the strength of the U.S. dollar and international relations might impact travel trends in the coming few years—particularly for the South American travelers, Liddle says, whose economies are especially reliant on the U.S. The SYTA data further supports this, indicating that tour planners are taking a cautious approach to planning for 2026. According to the annual report, the majority of planners were still in the early booking stages for next year’s trips at the time of its release.

Traveling with large groups of students also often means balancing different cultures and ideological beliefs. Social issues like gender identity, politics, financial status, and other cultural norms often come into play when introducing students to new places, ideas, and people. Liddle says there might be some discomfort there, but discomfort isn’t inherently a bad thing—so long as everyone is safe and respectful. In fact, discomfort often teaches resiliency and acceptance.

“The whole point of travel is that it’s going to be different. Some things you’re going to love, some things you’re going to struggle with. That’s the whole point.” He adds, “Not everything’s like their own world, and that’s OK.”

As the student travel landscape continues to evolve, one thing remains clear: The value of these experiences extends far beyond itineraries and Instagram photos. Despite rising costs and logistical challenges, youth travel is still a powerful tool for education, growth, and connection. The most impactful trips are not just well-organized—they’re intentional, inclusive, and transformative. As tour operators, educators, and parents look ahead, the goal isn’t merely to get students from point A to point B; it’s to cultivate journeys that inspire curiosity, empathy, and lifelong learning along the way.

By Madeline Fuerstenberg

Main Image: View from the London Eye, London, United Kingdom; Credit: Independent Schools Cultural Alliance