Outbound youth tourism (age 15 to 25) accounted for a large percentage of all international trips in 2000, representing 17 per cent of the total. More and more young people are travelling abroad on holiday, to visit friends, to study, as well as for business or other purposes.

Outbound youth tourism (age 15 to 25) accounted for a large percentage of all international trips in 2000, representing 17 per cent of the total. More and more young people are travelling abroad on holiday, to visit friends, to study, as well as for business or other purposes. For many of them, these trips are their first foray abroad and represent quite an adventure. Over the past few years, many national agencies have developed programmes to encourage young people to travel abroad in order to awaken their interest in the heritage and culture of other countries. In many cases, such travels provide an opportunity to learn a new language.