The days of Club 18-30 are, maybe not so sadly, coming to an end. The controversial Club 18-30 was founded in the 1960s and after over 50 years, Thomas Cook have made the decision to retire the brand. This decision comes after failing to attract a new buyer and deeming the brand to no longer fit their “wider programme”.
The package holidays targeted young singles or couples wanting to go on a holiday they’d never forget (but most likely couldn’t remember) was a staple for many, a pivotal point in their adolescence, the essence of freedom. For future generations this ‘pivotal moment’ will be lived through shows the brand inspired like ‘Sun, Sex and Suspicious Parents’ – luckily for them.
We all know millennials aren’t just sitting at home instead, so what’s changed to make sun, sex and alcohol fuelled holidays not seem so tempting anymore?
It’s not surprising that social media is partly to blame in the demise of Club 18-30; over half of those aged 18 to 25 years old say social media plays a factor when picking a hotel. Thomas Cook’s Holiday Report 2018 revealed that 52% of millennials are influenced by the way the hotel could promote their social media posts. So, is this just a consequence of young people’s desire for an ‘Instagrammable’ holiday?
This new take on holidaying is described as ‘ego travel’. Older generations may see millennials as being guilty of the egotistic behaviours that come along with being an ‘ego traveller’. However, millennials defend themselves against the narcissistic behaviours they’re accused of. After all, is being persuaded to book more photogenic and pleasant places a bad thing when compared with booking a holiday that centres around a strip full of clubs that they can barely remember?
We think they probably have a point.
Thomas Cook’s decision to close Club 18-30 indicates an end of an era for the travel industry but also a strong indication of how it has evolved. Thomas Cook has already moved on with the launch of their more upmarket brand, Cook’s Club which is aimed at the same target market as their soon-to-be defunct brand. Cook’s Club promises holidays that will fulfil new desires of good food, culture, music and, perhaps the biggest requirement of all, adding value to their social media posts.
