Why Millennials and Gen Zs are embracing Nostalgic Travel

Nostalgia is a very powerful travel driver with younger travellers heading back to the places where the familiar streets, routines and the smell of coconut suntan lotion beckon. 

Globally, the trend is booming. A recent UK study found that 82% of Gen Z and 75% of Millennials are returning to destinations from childhood holidays. More than half of Gen Z travellers aged 18 to 24 have even returned with their parents, while a third of Millennials are taking their own young families back to where their earliest holiday memories were made. For both groups, family summer holidays top the list of their most cherished moments.

South Africa is no exception. The urge to “call back” memories and share them with their children and partner is driving domestic travellers to rediscovering old favourite destinations with their familiar pit stops along the way, local hangouts and sentimental spots.  

Corné Alberts, National Marketing Manager at ANEW Hotels & Resorts, sees this new trend first-hand. “We’re noticing guests deliberately seeking out the places they grew up visiting,” she says. “They want to relive those moments, see how these destinations have evolved and share the familiarity with their own families.”

She shares what’s powering the nostalgia-travel wave:

1. Memory triggers are everywhere

   
   

Our phones are full of old family photos and video clips. These moments of cherished family holidays resurface as notifications on our phones, reminding travellers of childhood trips far more often, transporting them back to destinations that shaped their youth. That emotional jolt is pushing travellers to re-live those moments again, but this time with their own family. 

2. Generational connection across time and space

   
   

As life becomes more complex, Millennials and Gen Z crave connection, not in a digital sense but through stability. Visiting the holiday destinations their parents loved creates a powerful “past-meets-present” moment. They’re taking their own children along too, letting three generations share the same place through completely different eyes.

3. Comfort in the familiar

   
   

With budgets constantly under pressure and the rise in cost of living, travellers want fewer financial surprises. A childhood destination already feels familiar, which includes everything from the route to the town’s pace.  That built-in trust makes an “opportunity cost” decision easier and gives families confidence in the adventure they select, reducing the risk of being disappointed.  

4. Old favourites getting a facelift

   
   

Many South African holiday spots have seen major refreshers to cater to a contemporary traveller. Some of the features may remain the same but are now supported by modern rooms, stylish dining options, upgraded facilities and activities, bringing a polished and fresh experience to the familiar destination.  

5. Passing memories down the generations

   
   

Nostalgia travel is creating a surge in multigenerational holidays where Baby Boomers and Gen Xers return with their adult children and grandchildren, sharing the same destinations that formed their earliest memories. Millennials and Gen Z are becoming the instigators, selecting locations from their own childhoods to shape new family traditions.  This fusion of old favourites and new perspectives strengthens family bonds and reminds travellers of what really matters, and that is by spending time together.