Millennials consider themselves world explorers - as long as they travel in luxury

While older travellers consider themselves budgeters, millennials enjoy luxury hotels, gourmet restaurants, spas and high-end stores: RBC^® Travel Rewards Poll

TORONTO, Nov. 12, 2015 /CNW/ - Remember when travelling in your youth meant skipping from hostel to hostel, taking pride in every penny pinched? Not so with today's young travellers. One-in-four millennials (26 per cent) describe their travel personality as explorer, according to the 2015 RBC Travel Rewards Poll, yet more than half of them like to discover the world in luxury.

More than 20 per cent indicate that their top travel indulgence is staying in a luxury hotel, followed by relaxing in the hotel pool or spa (15 per cent), dining out in gourmet restaurants (11 per cent) and shopping in high-end stores (six per cent). In fact, millennials are significantly more likely than other age groups to shop in high-end stores when travelling - this didn't even register as a favourite travel perk for parents of millennials aged 55+.

"We know people are looking for credit cards that offer great benefits that are relevant to them, like earning loyalty points they can redeem for rewards that suit their tastes and lifestyle," says Glenn DeSouza, vice-president, Retail Cards, RBC. "That's why we offer RBC Avion^® clients the flexibility and choice to use their rewards on the kind of travel they love - whether they're luxury travellers, budgeters or adventurers."

Older travellers are more likely to identify themselves as budgeters. The survey found that 32 per cent of 35-54 year olds and 36 per cent of Canadians aged 55 to 64 identify as budgeters, whereas only 22 per cent of younger adults (aged 18-34) say the same. Millennials identify themselves as luxury travellers more than any other age group.

Save and splurge
DeSouza suggests the following tips to help travellers, young and old, indulge while sticking to their budgets:

• Look for ways to stretch your budget. If you carry a rewards credit card, consider booking your trip on points. You can then use money from your travel budget for indulgences such as a spa day or a purchase at a high-end store.
• Check perks available on your credit card. Before you go, find out what travel related services are available on your credit card, such as hotel upgrades, or a concierge to secure reservations at a gourmet restaurant or access special event tickets.
• Enjoy indulgences while sticking to a budget. Create a budget that covers travel necessities, and research the costs of special treats such as a staying in a luxury hotel. Save for those items and build them into your plan.
• Ensure you're covered. It's also a good idea to understand what your travel insurance covers before you leave home to ensure you can enjoy travelling worry-free. Some rewards credit cards offer extensive insurance coverage, including trip cancellation/interruption, medical, auto rental and extended warranty protection.

Where in the world do you want to ring in the New Year?
Ringing in the New Year in an exotic location is another travel indulgence many of us dream of. With New Year's Eve approaching, the survey also asked Canadians where they would like to ring in 2016. The most popular destination (16 per cent) was Sydney, Australia, where revelers can be among the first in the world to welcome the New Year. Watching the ball drop in Times Square, New York was the second most popular destination (12 per cent).

"New Year's Eve is traditionally one of the busiest times of year to travel," says DeSouza. "No matter where you want to go, Avioners^® have the flexibility to book travel on any airline, any flight, at any time. If there's a seat available, you can fly."

Whether you prefer to ring in the New Year partying on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil or enjoying the fireworks display in Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong, China, RBC wants to help you see the world. As part of the fall Avion campaign, Canadians can participate in the "Avion See the World ON POINTS" contest*. Three winners will receive one million RBC Rewards^® points - that's enough points to travel around the world. The contest is open to new and existing Avion cardholders, and will run until November 30, 2015. Apply now at rbc.com/avion.

About the RBC Travel Rewards Poll
The 2015 RBC Travel Rewards Poll was conducted via the Ipsos I-Say Online Panel, Ipsos Reid's national online panel. The results are based on a sample where quota sampling and weighting are employed to balance demographics and ensure that the sample's composition reflects that of the actual Canadian population according to Census data. Quota samples with weighting from the Ipsos online panel provide results that are intended to approximate a probability sample. The accuracy of Ipsos online polls is measured using a credibility interval. In this case the results are considered accurate to within ± 2.9 per cent, 19 times out of 20.  Within sub-groups of the sample, the credibility interval will be higher  For 18-34 year olds, the results are considered accurate to within ± 5.5 per cent, 19 times out of 20.

About RBC
Royal Bank of Canada is Canada's largest bank, and one of the largest banks in the world, based on market capitalization. We are one of North America's leading diversified financial services companies, and provide personal and commercial banking, wealth management, insurance, investor services and capital markets products and services on a global basis. We employ approximately 79,000 full- and part-time employees who serve more than 16 million personal, business, public sector and institutional clients through offices in Canada, the U.S. and 38 other countries. For more information, please visit rbc.com.

RBC supports a broad range of community initiatives through donations, sponsorships and employee volunteer activities. In 2014, we contributed more than $111 million to causes worldwide, including donations and community investments of more than $76 million and $35 million in sponsorships.

*No purchase necessary. Three prizes are available to be won, each consisting of 1,000,000 RBC Rewards points. Maximum three entries per entrant. Contest ends November 30, 2015. Contest draw date is December 11, 2015. Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries. Correct answer to skill-testing question required. For full contest rules visit: https://www.rbcroyalbank.com/credit-cards/camp/_assets-custom/pdf/RBC-Avion-See-The-World-On-Points-Rules-Final-EN.pdf.

SOURCE RBC

Heather Colquhoun, RBC Communications, 416-974-3283