Schoolies Sea Change

Schoolies it seems are moving away from the traditionally booze filled holidays in favour of more varied and adventurous activities. Activities such as camping, skydiving, mountain biking and scuba diving in Queensland are being booked in increasing numbers.

The switch is being fuelled in part by their revulsion to the Toolies that have increasingly turned up to spoil the end of school fun and also by a preference for actually remembering what they did on their end of school holiday.

Max Schoeddert and his friend Anthony Hately have opted for a camping holiday for a week, Max said, “I have had mates in years above me go to the Gold Coast and say that it’s not that great, they got stuff stolen and lost stuff and can’t remember. I don’t think it should all be about getting hammered every night and not being able to remember what you did.”

Originally an invention of Gen Y, schoolies week for this most recent crop of school leavers is more about what they do and who they do it with than it was for previous schoolies, this generation is also far more aware of health and fitness than those who have gone before and are attracted by different aspects of holidaying and partying.

Another interesting element to the change in attitude is the global financial crisis, KPMG demographer and tourism forecasting committee chairman, Bernard Salt said “Schoolies is a reflection of middle class prosperity, during the boom, tourism operators sold everything as indulgence, but now there’s more of a morality to consumption and adventure or activity tourism fits the bill”.

This departure from drunken raging parties that are the norm for schoolies week has surfaced this year and looks set to continue into future years as differences in generational attitude come through. Bookings for activity based holidays by the youth brigade are on the increase and 2010 looks to be even more so.

Parents and organisers have been concerned with the behaviour displayed at traditional schoolies week events for some time and will no doubt be much happier with the new approach of this generation.

you can book your accommodation on the Gold Coast for Schoolies through www.bookschoolies.com