Why Y2K travel is this year’s biggest nostalgia trend

Forget the usual bucket list destinations. For a growing number of travellers, dream trips are starting to look a lot more like the past.

New research from GetYourGuide has found that 65% of millennials travel in search of a feeling of “simpler times”, with nostalgia for the 1990s and early 2000s emerging as a full-blown travel trend.

Dubbed “Y2K Travel”, the trend is proving popular across generations, with 71% of both Gen Z and millennials interested in booking a ‘90s or ‘00s-inspired experience.

But what makes the ideal Y2K trip? The study revealed that visiting locations from favourite films and shows as well as music were the most appealing, with 65% saying that reliving a childhood memory by visiting a pop culture location would be the best option.

Interestingly, one in three people surveyed say they’re keen to experience a time before smartphones and internet access – a kind of nostalgia that seems impossible to find.

“Travel has always been about escape and right now, we see Millennials and Gen Z are using it to escape into the past, to a feeling instead of just a place,” GetYourGuide’s trend forecaster-in-chief Anne Wallin said.

“They’re stepping into spots they only watched from the sofa, replaying songs they once burned onto CDs, or spending a weekend where no one can reach them. Y2K Travel looks different for everyone, but it’s really about being present somewhere that once meant everything to you.”

GetYourGuide is leaning into this trend and is offering tours and experiences in a number of its destinations worldwide.

These are some of the highlights for Y2K fans.

Tour Rome like Lizzie McGuire

Among the ultimate Millennial pop culture icons is Lizzie McGuire, played by Hilary Duff from 2001 to 2004.

In 2003, The Lizzie McGuire Movie was released, and follows the American title character as she holidays in Rome. Lizzie is mistaken for an Italian pop star, tours the Italian capital on a Vespa, and eventually sings the now iconic “What Dreams Are Made Of” at the equally iconic Colosseum.

In Rome, guide Kerem Dikman launched a Lizzie McGuire-themed Vespa tour in January, and it’s proved very popular since, with Y2K-loving travellers already booking for next year.

“The tour is particularly popular with millennial women,” Kerem said, “They imagined themselves on that Vespa as kids when they watched Hillary Duff. Now they’re making the dream come true.”

Those on the tour get to explore the countless famous sites in the Eternal City on the background of a Vespa, and pretend they’re Lizzie in her ‘00s peak.

From Tokyo to Manchester: Y2K experiences to try out now

If experiencing life like the “patron saint” of Millennials isn’t your thing, there are plenty of other Y2K options to choose from.

To some elder Millennials, Sex and the City is so much more than a TV show. In fact, it’s a cultural phenomenon which still has a significant impact today.

In New York City, GetYourGuide offers a TV locations tour which takes guests everywhere from Tiffany & Co, the Bethesda Fountain in Central Park and Magnolia Bakery on Bleecker Street, where the show’s characters feasted on banana pudding. You’ll also catch a glimpse of the outside of main character Carrie Bradshaw’s famous West Village home.

For anyone who grew up surrounded by Barbie, the iconic doll is more than just a toy. She’s a pretty significant piece of pop culture, and fans can step inside her perfect, pink world in Amsterdam.

GetYourGuide’s Barbie The Dream Experience takes visitors through 12 different zones spanning six decades of Barbie history, culminating in a full-size DreamHouse. The 90-minute experience is essentially a trip down memory lane, just with a lot more pink.

For gamers and anime fans, Tokyo offers the chance to revisit some of the things that made ‘90s and ‘00s pop culture so addictive.

GetYourGuide’s Nostalgic Anime and Retro Gaming Adventure heads into Akihabara, where visitors can hunt for vintage games before battling it out in an old-school arcade. The experience also includes a visit to a Maid Café, making it a pretty comprehensive trip through Japan’s retro gaming culture.

Manchester’s music scene has produced some of Britain’s biggest bands, and for anyone who remembers the days of Oasis, the Stone Roses and “Madchester”, the city is packed with nostalgia.

GetYourGuide’s music-themed walking tour explores the landmarks behind the city’s legendary music scene, including the Hacienda and locations linked to some of its biggest bands. The 105-minute tour is essentially a crash course in Manchester’s musical history, complete with plenty of basslines and bucket hats.

For some travellers, nostalgia isn’t about revisiting a particular film, band or video game. It’s about remembering what life felt like before everyone was permanently glued to their phones.

GetYourGuide’s three-day Sahara Desert Digital Detox tour offers exactly that, taking travellers into the Tunisian desert for three days with little to no phone signal. There are no notifications, endless scrolling or emails to answer, just vast desert landscapes and a chance to properly switch off.

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