Contact us. Your newsletters. If you have lived through your teenage years or been to university; watched an episode of Geordie Shore; or ever seen the Inbetweeners movie, you will know all about the first holiday. That moment you break away from the childhood family summer trip into unchartered territory of drink, back-to-back nights out , and making the whole event as cheap as humanly possible. They had all the right ingredients for a coming-of-age trip: direct flights from the UK, sunshine, dirt-cheap booze and plenty of other teenagers not to mention a foam party or two.
Shows like Sun, Sex and Suspicious Parents might have portrayed it as totally wild but it was only what every other year-old was doing. As a year-old, I have also booked this rite of passage for my summer break this year β seven days in Ibiza. Reports suggested that Gen Z are killing this type of holiday industry. Much as our elders were blamed for the death of everything from golf to fabric softener, now it is our turn.
According to a poll by holiday operator VIBE, part of Jet2holidays, many year olds would choose mediating or a massage over visiting a famous nightclub. Only 11 per cent consider clubbing a priority, compared with 34 per cent, who would rather the opportunity to chill. But this feels an unfair accusation β we are still going on these holidays, visiting these places β we are just rejecting the need to be drunk to make it worthwhile. To snorkel without my stomach whirring like a washing machine is a much better idea than scaring wildlife away with my heaving.
An early workout sounds more appealing than late night partying. All the decisions I make will be my own β not the alter ego who appears when a few cheap shots of tequila are down my throat. In part, I have to blame social media for my want to not drink.
When 80 per cent of my school year went away to celebrate finishing our exams, I was forced to stop scrolling my Instagram after seeing multiple injuries, people lying in the street or complaining they felt rough. I vowed to not follow the same path. And stories of drink spiking and women having bad experiences linger in my mind.
