Family Travel Forum Consulting (FTFc) released their report of teen travel trends based on the submissions of 5,700 teens, ages 13-18, who entered their Teen Travel Writing Scholarship.  The findings provide insight on what we can expect from this generation of younger travelers. Today’s teens are undoubtedly more global-minded and are willing to travel far from home. They are service-oriented and are keen on exploring distant cultures.

— 48% of teen applicants have traveled outside the United States by their 18th birthday

— Africa-Middle East saw the largest increase in teen travel — 48%

— 8 out of 10 teens seeking cultural enrichment joined study abroad programs

— consistent with a rising trend in volunteer vacations among all age groups, volunteer travel was up 20% over last year

— Two-thirds of teen participants in church and volunteer programs served outside the U.S.

• 44% volunteered in the Caribbean, Mexico, and South America

• Nearly 11% volunteered in Africa or the Middle East.

— Hot destinations for 2009 included Colorado, Germany, and Haiti, while New Orleans’ popularity dropped.

Today’s teen travelers, at least based on this sampling, have the hallmarks of a global citizen.