G Adventures Yolo brand has been extremely popular for the tour operator and its customers, but the company is moving on from the tagline and rebranding its millennial trips.
While the term YOLO (you only live once) still rings true with this generation of traveler, G Adventures is seeking to more sufficiently define what these trips offer and to whom.
"Our younger customers tell us they're looking for more real-world social experiences beyond their online life, which is great," said Bruce Poon Tip, owner and founder of G Adventures.
"They also want cool content to then share out with their digital networks," Poon Tip added. "This growing interest in a social-first experience that helps young people build connections but which is also affordable prompted us to think differently about how we market our small-group youth product. It should be easily discoverable and instantly clear who we are speaking to."
Launched in 2012, the Yolo brand increased global passenger growth more than 85 percent, outpacing the small-group tour operator's eight other travel styles during the same time period.
All 185 tours in the G Adventures Yolo brand have now been relaunched in the new 18-to-Thirtysomethings portfolio. These journeys continue to be the most affordable segment of the tour operator's offerings.
The tours also provide time-strapped millennial travelers with unique adventure opportunities within a timeframe and budget they can afford. The majority of the trips are under $2,000 and some are less than one-week long, although travelers with time on their hands can create itineraries longer than nine weeks.
The trips are fun-filled, fast-paced and offer branded experiences such as G Adventures Big Night Out as well as numerous authentic cultural experiences, which is at the heart of the G Adventures brand.
One of the ways prices are kept to a minimum is by providing budget-friendly accommodations with an adventurous feel. Travelers will camp more, stay in hostels and spend nights in locally owned hotels, which leads to increased engagement with local cultures-something younger travelers increasingly want on vacation.
"This social, digital, millennial generation of travelers is fast becoming major drivers of consumer spending and trendsetters of popular culture," said Steve Lima, U.S. marketing director of G Adventures. "They want meaningful connections and high-value experiences. So, we wanted to ensure our youth product remains in step with their tastes and interests, and signals to them directly that 'we want you'".
To coincide with the product evolution, G Adventures has also announced the launch of eight new 18-to-Thirtysomethings tours for 2018, which include destinations Japan, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and the West Coast of the U.S. and Canada.
G Adventures expansion doesn't end with the millennial market. It has also added a number new tours around the world, including in Asia and Africa as well as new domestic trips to Hawaii.
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