Teens with zero desire to travel

My teens are 16 and 19 , neither seem to express much interest in travelling but certainly the older one wouldnt be able to afford to anyway. Of all the things I worry about for them, this hasn't really been an issue

Yes ‘forcing a foreign trip’ - that makes sense if you want to ensure they never go again

I totally get where your teens are coming from. I have been abroad once in my life for three days (I’m in my 50s). When I was a child, I didn’t know anyone who went abroad.

I am educated and curious and always learning. However I don’t prioritise rinsing 100s of pounds for the sake of a couple of weeks. I haven’t been on holiday (or more than one night away from home) since I was a kid.

MN is weirdly snobby about travel. Going abroad doesn’t make you more educated. It gives you a particular experience. There are other ways to expand the mind. It’s okay not to do it. I have never flown and never will.

You have taken them abroad and they may choose to do it in the future. It just isn’t something they are bothered about at the moment.

The drinking cava with the locals post made me bring. How patronising/snobby

We couldn’t afford holidays growing up but I would have found going away with my parents so dull

I hate travelling. I have to do it for work sometimes and dread it. People always talking about going to see the sights. I usually drag myself to said sights, stand there, go back to the hotel. I have literally no interest or desire to see these things.

This is definitely me!

I am not one of life's travellers. Am quite happy to be at home. DD travels as much as possible, with multiple trips abroad each year. DS travels for work regularly in this country, but isn't too fussed about holidays, although he does like going away with his mates when the opportunity arises. These days it's generally for stag weekends or weddings.

I don't think all holidays need to expand to the mind and provide special learning experiences. Sounds very Sixties, precious, patronising and middle class.

What happening to just going on holiday to get some good weather and have some fun? Is this no longer allowed?

This thread feels like progress

I've been on this site for far too long 😂 and I remember saying that I don't really travel and lots of people got very cross with me! Like I was committing some sort of sin.

I have travelled a bit, (more than a bit if you can't work, which I don't ) but I suspect the ones who think it has amazing essential mysterious "understanding other cultures" value wouldn't think much of where I travelled. I've always felt there was an inherent snobbery people who think travel is "essential".

I don’t see why it’s an issue. I travelled a little as a child but not as an adult, my kids have not been abroad. Eldest is now 22 and would like to travel but probably not in the way OP has been taking her kids on holidays.

As a family the idea of going in an all inclusive holiday or any kind of holiday that involves lying in sun loungers or staying in a big hotel/complex fills us with dread. We would like to experience more culture, visits historic places and experience wild life from other countries but it’s not something we can afford and as an autistic family (all 3 of us) it makes travelling overseas even harder. We have seen many places in the uk, we went up to Scotland last year, wales the year before and enjoy doing this.

Of course it’s great to travel and see other places but I don’t think it’s the most important thing and not essential to making peoples lives complete.

I’ve travelled quite a lot in my life, india, Iran, China, Egypt, Morocco etc. I loved my trips and it’s been very enriching, gives me a lot of experiences to reflect back on.

But truthfully, the world has become more complicated in recent years. Covid, war, terrorism. Also if you get sick abroad, it can be extremely stressful not to mention very expensive. I got very sick abroad and it cost thousands out of pocket before the insurance paid out months later. Plus navigating a healthcare system in another language isn’t fun.
The environmental and societal impact of over tourism is vast too.

Travel isn’t the only to expand one’s mind- enriching hobbies, giving back to your community etc all do that too.
Travel is also wildly expensive, I spent absolutely thousands in my 20s and 30s

I’m 38 and travelling has never interested me

whats the big deal if they don’t wanna travel

this

why? My sibling loves to travel and holiday, I do not. We have both had happy successful lives. Your kids are not you, you are not your kids.

It might be nothing to do with phones. I hated going on holiday as a teen and that was decades before mobile phones.

Since then, I've travelled quite a lot, Europe, canada, central and south America but if i'm honest I'd be very happy never going abroad again because travel is such a huge uncomfortable hassle. Also, i get homesick and i think few places are as lovely as the UK countryside.

My son was like this. Never wanted to go away with the rest of us.

Now, ten years later? He's currently making plans to travel to Angola.

I've travelled a lot, no one else I'm related to is remotely interested. I've done things that I think are amazing but I don't think it's made me a better person than them, they're just into other things.

Maybe they never express a desire to go anywhere because you take them abroad frequently anyway?

”Abroad” is literally less foreign to my teens who live in a world of Google Earth, TikTok and so on. When I was their age, we couldn’t even (easily) go to Eastern Europe.

I didn't travel much during my teenage years (and early 20s), mainly through poverty rather than wishes. Not entirely sure why this is bothering you

Travelling does broaden the mind. It makes you question and makes it easier to converse with people. No one says it has to be magaluf . Interailing in Europe or City breaks. My kids are well travelled both working abroad post PhDs and it really makes a huge difference

I grew up with a neighbour who'd never seen the sea. He'd rarely left the county! And this was in the 90s / 00s.

I've rarely met anyone so content in himself.

Not everyone wants to travel. It doesn't mean you're not curious or bright.

Given how much damage mass tourism is doing to the planet and communities around the world, we could probably all do with a bit less travel to be honest.

Perhaps it’s a more a case of them having always had to go on holiday with you, and maybe not really being into the same sorts of holiday as you are. Perhaps to them, you make a big deal out of holidays that are chosen by you rather than them, and they’re just an age where they’d rather do their own thing.

Also, if they’ve travelled with you a lot, maybe they just take it a bit for granted and feel like it’s not a big deal.

Either way, they’re allowed to prefer to stay at home. Personally, I love travel and seeing new places. But some people just aren’t into it, and that’s fine. We’re all different. It’s not a character flaw.

That's not travelling.

My eldest and youngest both love travelling but in different styles.
Eldest loves to go to AI resorts and just chill for his whole trip.
Youngest loves to explore of the beaten track and stay in airbnb's.
Middle son isn't interested in travelling at all.
I'm a bit of both with eldest & youngest but lean more to the travelling style of my youngest.
We are off to Japan in 3 weeks time to do some exploring and site seeing.