New research has revealed some startling statistics concerning the Gen-Y demographic, with two out of five millennials currently under the influence of a powerful addiction sweeping across the country.
The epidemic has reached such epic proportions that it’s attracted the interest and attention of media, and here at KarryOn, we thought it best to report on the latest scourge affecting our youth.
Thankfully, the addiction is totally positive and nothing to worry about, with a new Snow Addicts campaign recently launched to drive awareness of New Zealand’s world-class snow offerings for the Australian market.
According to some new research commissioned by Ski and Ride New Zealand on how Australians like to holiday, 37 percent (that’s almost two in five) of Gen-Y Aussies have a self-confessed addiction to adventure sports, such as skiing and snowboarding.
Addicted to the rush of endorphins such sports bring, “snow addicts” have been known to go to extreme lengths to satisfy their cravings to get in amongst the snow, and unfortunately, many display all the physical symptoms one would expect from someone battling with an addiction.
Some of these physical symptoms include involuntary body movements (such as practicing their aerials) and an inability to stop shaking (in anticipation of hitting the slopes).
According to one addict, the addiction creeps up on you:
“One day you look in the mirror and you don’t recognise yourself.”
Anonymous, self-confessed snow addict.
Just check out this (hilarious) video which introduces the new Snow Addicts campaign:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1ml-TliaW0
But hey, there are totally worse things you could be addicted to!
In a wider context, the new research has found that 77 percent of Aussie travellers prefer holidays where they can be outdoors, and a big part of this preference has to do with more and more Australians seeking a holiday where they can forget about all their worries and alleviate stress. According to the research, it is Gen-Y who are feeling the stresses of everyday life the most.
Young Aussies are also motivated by the credo of YOLO (You Only Live Once), it seems, with 62 percent of millennials attracted to the thrills (and spills!) that come with a snow holiday.
In regards to the self-confessed snow addicts amongst us, the additive nature of skiing and snowboarding is pretty easy to explain. According to professor Ralf Buckley, an adventure tourism expert at Griffith University, “the stress relief associated with this addiction proves beneficial for wellbeing, so it’s a good addiction.”
Luckily for us Aussies, we don’t have to venture further than across the ditch to alleviate our stress and increase our well-being.
Research has shown that New Zealand’s Southern Alps is the most popular international snow destination for Aussie snow addicts, with statistics indicating that 24 percent of snow enthusiasts are more likely to choose NZ than destinations further afield, such as the USA, Canada, and Europe.
And when you think about it, that makes total sense. Queenstown and Wanaka – home to four epic ski resorts – are only a short three of four-hour flight from major cities on the east coast of Australia. That’s less time flying in the air, and more time, well, flying in the air – on your skis or snowboard!
Just recently, Air New Zealand announced night flights into Queenstown, and Australia’s very own Flying Kangaroo Qantas recently added 13 extra services from Sydney to Queenstown during July and August after experiencing strong demand.