Lifestyle Trend: Vietnam Group Trip: Why Millennials and Gen Z are paying to travel with strangers You Should Know

“It’s amazing to be with so many solo travellers, but it’s also a little sad that we are all kind of lonely,” said Rupa, who chose Vietnam for her first solo trip but signed up for a group tour to avoid travelling completely alone.

Her thought captures a growing trend among millennials and Gen Z: travelling solo, but not alone. At first glance, it may look like people are paying to travel with strangers. But the trend reflects something deeper.

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Community travel, curated group trips where strangers explore destinations together, is fast becoming a hot trend among young travellers. While group tours were once associated largely with elderly pilgrims, Millennials and Gen Z are now embracing them for companionship, convenience and shared experiences.

Companies such as WanderOn, Thrillophilia, Tripoto and several others have tapped into this demand by organising curated group experiences designed specifically for young travellers.

WHAT IS COMMUNITY TRAVEL?

To understand the appeal, I joined one such trip myself. The day usually begins with an early breakfast at the hotel before everyone piles into a bus for sightseeing, spontaneous photo stops and long road journeys where conversations drift from awkward introductions to easy laughter.

The format is simple. You sign up with a company for a trip to a destination of your choice. Other travellers, often solo, join the same itinerary, and the group goes on the journey together.

The company handles logistics such as flights, accommodation, visas and sightseeing. Most trips also have a “trip captain” who accompanies the group and manages the itinerary, while local guides offer deeper insights into the destination.

For many travellers, the biggest draw is simple: the chance to explore new places while being surrounded by like-minded people. The experience often encourages conversations, shared activities and spontaneous friendships that may not happen during conventional tourism.

Rohit Shroff, CEO and co-founder of trip planning platform Holidify, said it is the fastest-growing segment.

“Group tours are one of the fastest-growing segments within tour packages right now. On Holidify, we’ve seen group travel queries grow by about 23% on average over the last 2–3 years, which shows the increasing interest in this format,” he said.

WHY YOUNG TRAVELLERS ARE CHOOSING GROUP TOURS

A key factor behind the rise of community travel is the way modern urban life has quietly reshaped friendships. Many young professionals move cities for work or education, leaving behind familiar social circles. Over time, travel plans that once revolved around close friends become harder to organise, pushing many people to look for new ways to explore the world.

Rohit Shroff, who has spent over 13 years in the travel industry, says the growing popularity of group tours among younger travellers is driven by convenience, affordability and the chance to meet new people.

“Group tours have become much more popular with younger travellers. They’re cheaper and much easier — you can just join a trip instead of planning everything yourself. Also, finding the right people to travel with is often hard. Group tours solve that, and you end up meeting new, like-minded people along the way,” he said.

WanderOn co-founder Govind Gaur believes the appeal lies in real-world connections at a time when digital interactions dominate.

“We are an anti-AI company. We take people away from AI and closer to humans and real experiences. At a time when people are getting used to chatting with ChatGPT, we are offering a sense of social belonging.”

The trend gained momentum after the pandemic, when many young people began prioritising experiences and social connections over traditional holiday packages.

Manuraj Singh Johar, founder of Voyalys and a travel industry veteran with 18 years of experience, said younger travellers today place greater value on experiences than on expenses.

“Millennials and Gen Z today are far less budget-conscious than they were earlier and are increasingly prioritising experiences over price. Many are willing to spend more on immersive travel—from staying at experiential luxury hotels to accessing curated experiences in destinations like Kenya, Norway, and Japan. Small, curated group journeys allow them to access these premium experiences while also connecting with like-minded travellers,” he said.

Convenience is another major attraction. Hina, who joined the WanderOn group tour to Vietnam from Noida, said she wanted to be free from any stress.

“I gave them the money and they did everything. From flights and visas to hotels and sightseeing, everything is taken care of. I just have to get ready and go. Such a relaxing trip,” she said.

Cost also plays a role. Shared accommodation and group bookings often make these trips cheaper than planning the same itinerary independently.

“When you travel in a group, a lot of costs get shared — transport, guides, local logistics. Accommodation is often shared as well. So if you’re travelling solo, joining a group can make the trip significantly cheaper,” said Rohit Shroff.

WHY TRAVELLING WITH STRANGERS WORKS?

Whether someone is introverted or outgoing, community travel offers an easy way to meet people. Shared accommodations, group activities and long journeys together often lead to conversations that turn strangers into friends. For many travellers, the experience feels less transactional than traditional tourism

“This was the first time in my life that I tried adventure rides and even got on a roller coaster at VinWonders. I would never have done it if the others on the trip had not encouraged me. They made the whole experience so much more fun,” said Rupa.

For many millennials in their late 20s and 30s, this stage of life often brings a subtle shift in friendships. People move cities for work, get married, migrate abroad or become busy with family responsibilities. The once-reliable circle of travel companions slowly disappears, leaving many with the desire to explore the world but no one to travel with.

For such people, community trips have emerged as a convenient middle ground, allowing people to travel independently while still having company.

“All my friends are either married or settled in different places. For the few who still live nearby, our schedules never match. So, community trips are the best choice for me,” said Pranjal, who joined the group from Mumbai.

“I don’t have friends and this was my first ever solo trip in a group,” said Hina, who joined the tour from Noida. “I was hesitant in the beginning, but I’m glad I did it. I found two girls who feel like my soul sisters and everything was so well managed.”

Medha, who formed a special bond with fellow traveller Hina on the trip, said she never expected she would find such good friends.

“We lived in the same city but didn’t know each other until we met on this trip. This was my second group tour and the best trip of my life because of the two friends I made. I share everything with them now,” she said.

Safety is often a major factor, particularly for women travelling internationally. Travelling in a group also offers a safety net. If someone falls sick or runs into trouble, there are always others around to help.

“All my friends are settled abroad, so there’s no one to travel with,” said Rupa. “This is my first solo trip and I felt community travel would be safer.”

For others, the unpredictability of travelling with strangers is part of the charm. Varsha, a Delhi resident on her fourth such trip, says the experience becomes addictive.

“Once you travel solo in a group, you don’t want to travel any other way,” she said. “Every trip brings new people and new experiences. When you travel with friends, sometimes you have to deal with the same dynamics and tantrums. But with strangers, there’s a certain freedom. You don’t feel pressured to please anyone.”

Not every connection turns into a lifelong friendship, she added, and that’s perfectly fine.

“Some friendships start on the trip and end there. And that’s okay.”

Sometimes, however, those connections do last. Ashawari, who travelled with three friends on the current trip, said they had all met during one such group tour a few years ago.

“We met on a Ladakh trip and became very good friends,” she said. “We didn’t meet again for a long time but stayed in touch on Instagram. Finally, we decided to plan this trip together.”

IS IT ALWAYS SO GREAT?

Not really. Community travel is not without its challenges. Fixed itineraries can limit spontaneity, and group dynamics don’t always work smoothly. Some travellers say the experience depends heavily on the mix of people in the group. Large groups, tightly packed itineraries and mismatched personalities can sometimes make the trip feel less like a community and more like a crowd.

Dharmendra from Ranchi, who had taken two such trips earlier, said he had a disappointing experience in the past.

“My Thailand trip was horrible,” he said. “There were around 40 people in the group and everything felt chaotic. Very few people could bond and I ended up feeling bored and left out. It also wasn’t managed very well because the group was too big.”

However, he said the possibility of meeting new people, even briefly, makes the experience worthwhile. So, he took another chance, but with a different travel company this time.

MATCHMAKING ON THE MOVE

For some travellers, the connections formed during these journeys go beyond friendships. Interestingly, several have even found life partners along the way, despite never setting out with that intention.

According to WanderOn, more than 104 couples who first met during their trips eventually went on to become life partners.

“At a time when dating apps have become exhausting and finding a partner feels increasingly difficult, these trips often help people connect with like-minded individuals,” said Govind Gaur.

Riya, who met her partner on a Europe group trip, said she had grown tired of dating apps and meeting arranged matches where nothing seemed to click.

“We are so stressed in our day-to-day lives that we rarely get to be our real selves. But during the trip, we laughed more, shared real experiences, explored new places together and had conversations without any pressure. You get to be more relaxed and authentic, and that makes it easier to connect with someone,” she said.

Some travel companies have even started offering community trips designed specifically around matchmaking. As dating apps, once seen as the easiest way to meet people, slowly lose their charm, such journeys offer a more organic way for connections to form.

THE BUSINESS BEHIND THE TREND

As the popularity of community travel grows, companies organising these trips are building a new segment within the travel industry. Behind the seemingly carefree experience of community travel lies a carefully structured ecosystem of logistics, partnerships and community-building.

For many travellers, the experience feels almost effortless. Flights, accommodation, transportation and sightseeing are arranged in advance, leaving participants free to focus on the journey itself. The trip moves according to plan, usually with little hassle.

But WanderOn co-founder Govind Gaur says making a trip feel seamless requires significant groundwork behind the scenes.

“It takes a lot of effort to make something look and feel effortless,” he said. “Behind every trip is a well-established system we’ve built over the years with trusted local guides and operators. That network allows us to deliver a smooth and premium experience for travellers.”

A key part of that system is the role of the trip captain, who acts as the bridge between travellers, local vendors and the company. According to Gaur, trip captains undergo a mandatory three-month training programme before leading groups. The training focusses on logistics management, conflict resolution and creating a comfortable environment for travellers who may be meeting each other for the first time.

Their performance is also closely monitored.

“Their compensation depends on feedback from the previous trip,” the WanderOn co-founder said. This ensures that every captain takes the responsibility seriously and maintains the quality of the experience.”

LOCAL GUIDES: HUMAN POWER BANKS

Trip captains are supported by local tour guides, who help travellers fully experience and understand each destination. From briefing groups about a site to offering safety tips and keeping spirits high, they are like human power banks, ensuring energy never runs out. Anna, a tour guide in Hanoi with a decade of experience, says she loves her job.

“I love meeting new people and showing them the best of my country,” she said. Even after long walks that left travellers tired, Anna always wore a smile and held an Indian flag high throughout the two-day trip, a gesture that showed her affection for her visitors. She sang when the bus ride got boring and laughed when the energy drained.

David, a young tour guide from Da Nang in his early twenties, said his job gets repetitive sometimes but never boring.

“Sometimes I visit the Golden Bridge 6 times a week and the drill remains the same. But I enjoy what I do so it never gets boring. I can’t imagine working on a computer in a small office so this is the best job for me.”

TRIP CAPTAIN: A TRAVELLER’S DREAM JOB

The trip captains have an even bigger role to play beyond simply following an itinerary. They become the common thread that holds the group together. From organising BYOB evenings to clicking photos for the introverted travellers, from dancing with them on the DJ floor to sharing ghost stories late into the night, they are often more invested in making the trip memorable than the travellers themselves.

What a job! Right? So, the one question all travellers asked was: “How can I become a trip captain?”

For travellers stuck in demanding corporate routines, the idea of doing something like this for a living feels almost too good to be true. It’s a dream job.

So the question inevitably reached the person who built the company. Govind Gaur’s answer was simpler than expected.

“Anyone can become a trip captain,” he said.

“We have people who travelled with us four or five times, understood the drill, went through the training process and eventually joined as trip captains,” the WanderOn co-founder said.

The role does not always require a full-time commitment either. Some captains treat it as a break from their regular jobs.

“There are people who may not want to leave their full-time work. They simply take a week off, join a trip as a captain and then go back to their regular routine,” he said.

For many travel enthusiasts, the role looks like a dream job. You get paid to travel and shape the experience for others who are travelling with the same hopes of discovery and connection.

And perhaps that is the real appeal of community travel.

In an age where friendships are scattered across cities, work calendars rarely align and social media has become an endless scrolling marathon, these trips offer something refreshingly simple. A chance to show up somewhere new, surrounded by strangers who are all looking for the same thing. A little adventure, a little connection and maybe a good story to take back home.

Sometimes you return with new friends. Sometimes with a new partner.

Sometimes just with a few unforgettable memories and a WhatsApp group that goes silent after the trip ends.

Either way, the formula seems to work.

Because for a generation that has mastered the art of doing everything alone, living alone, working alone, even dining alone, community travel offers a small but comforting twist.

Somewhere between airport queues, waiting for taxis and stories shared with strangers who slowly start to feel familiar, the journey takes on a different meaning.

The photos will eventually fade into phone galleries.

The WhatsApp group may go silent.

But for a few days in a distant city, you remember what it feels like to belong.

– Ends