A young Australian bitten by the travel bug has revealed she wouldn’t be planning a round-the-world trip if she wasn’t living at home and battling cost-of-living pressures.
It comes as recent research shows more young Australians are staying in their parents’ homes longer amid the housing crisis.
Alana Avallone, 25, born and raised in Sydney, discovered her love of travel during a Contiki to Italy in June last year and was already planning another.
However, Avallone said he was only able to save enough for the holidays because he was able to stay home and receive support from his parents, and said many young Australians should do the same if they can.
“I don’t think I would be planning my next trip if I lived away from home and had to pay rent every week, especially if I lived in the more expensive areas of Sydney,” she told Daily Mail Australia.
Young Australian university student Alana Avallone (pictured) has revealed she wouldn’t be able to plan a longer European holiday if she didn’t live with her parents.
While living at home eases some burdens, he said his finances are still difficult as a student.
“Living at home means I don’t spend money on rent; however, I have other bills, such as phone and car bills, that add up, but not as much as rent money,” Ms. Avallone said.
He said he wishes he had traveled sooner.
“If I had done a gap year at 18, I probably would have developed my confidence and independence early on, rather than at 25,” she said.
“I probably could have also sat down and thought more about what I really wanted to do and find my passions.”
He added that the current economic situation is making it more difficult for young Australians to travel the world and gain the life experience he gained on his trip with Contiki.
When you think about moving out of your parents’ house, you quickly remember how much money you’re saving by staying there.
Avallone was bitten by the travel bug after a trip to Italy in June last year and said the cost of living crisis would keep other young Australians away from the life experiences he learned on his trip.
Having made the solo trip shy and nervous, she returned with more self-confidence and said she will now return to university to pursue her passion as a travel writer.
How more and more young Australians are staying home
Recent research from the University of Melbourne’s Household, Income and Labor Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey revealed that 54 percent of young men and 47 percent of young women aged 18 to 29 were still living under the same roof as their parents.
According to researchers, there were a number of factors preventing young Australians from getting their first foothold on the property ladder.
Professor Roger Wilkins, deputy director of the HILDA survey at the University of Melbourne, said many young Australians were taking longer to adapt to the workforce, incomes were falling and the cost of living was rising.
“We have seen an increase in participation in higher education, a decrease in full-time employment opportunities for young people, an increase in the cost of housing and a trend towards later marriage and family formation.”
“Traditional markers of adulthood now occur later in life.”
Ms. Avallone urged high school students who are about to finish high school to consider taking a break from studies and taking a gap year.
Lyn Craig, Professor of Sociology and Social Policy at the University of Melbourne, highlighted very serious implications for young people living at home for longer.
‘Although we live longer and have time to stretch and slow down events and transitions during the course of our lives, one thing we really can’t slow down is fertility.
“Therefore, this may have implications for young people embarking on the great adventure of parenthood,” Professor Craig said.
‘Since the mid-teens, fertility has fallen below replacement level in Australia for the first time and I think that has something to do with house prices and young people not being able to afford to set up home. independent away from his parents. ‘
Professor Wilkins said successive governments were to blame for many young Australians staying at home because of the housing crisis.
“Taking policy action to make housing more affordable and increase housing supply is a clear way to address this issue,” Professor Wilkins said.
‘On the positive side, as a wealthier society with longer life expectancy, perhaps some young people are making a rational and conscious decision to delay entry into the hard yakka of life.
‘They decide to enjoy and have fun while they are still young.
‘Taken together, parents of the baby boom generation are also a relatively wealthy group, so their ability and preparedness to provide for their children into adulthood has increased. Perhaps it is no longer the imposition that parents, who were more financially limited, once faced.’
Young Australians unable to travel due to cost of living pressures
Meanwhile, recent research from international tourism company Contiki revealed young Australians were postponing international travel due to cost of living pressures.
While 42 percent enjoyed college, they worried they would never be able to pay off their loans.
Additionally, 47 percent of students felt that college was expensive and they needed to work part-time to cover their expenses.
Even with full-time employment, 48 percent of young adults always anticipate their next payday and 62 percent express a strong desire to save more for travel.
Only 39 percent prefer to spend their money on travel rather than saving for emergencies.
Research from travel company Contiki reveals that around two-thirds of young Australians would prefer to experience the world on an international trip rather than studying at university (stock)
Contiki’s research also revealed that students were not enrolling in tertiary courses out of passion for the subject.
Instead, most students did not want to disappoint their families or were afraid of losing well-paying jobs.
“Young Australians feel they are expected to pursue a career or course, many feel the impact of the cost of living and understandably feel a bit guilty when booking a holiday,” explained Contiki CEO Toni Ambler.
The travel company recently launched a program, called Contiki University, to help college students take a break from tourist spots while learning about their passions.
Trips include brushing up on Greek history while island hopping in the Aegean Sea or learning about temple architecture in Southeast Asia.
