Remember the days of flipping through a Lonely Planet guide to plan your travel itinerary, then printing out your flight details and writing down your hotel’s address just in case? That was Gen X travel. Fast-forward to 2025 and Millennials armed with smartphones and Simify eSIM international data plans are planning their trips with AI, asking ChatGPT for itinerary ideas, booking flights through travel apps and relying on Google Maps to navigate every step of the journey.
From the old days of relying on dog-eared guidebooks, to the modern age of asking AI for advice on the go, the rise of smartphones and affordable international data from companies like eSIM specialist Simify has forever changed travel across the generations.
Relying on your smartphone as your travel advisor, tour guide, translator and map certainly lightens your load. Going digital also makes it easier to wing it, when you can look things up on the spot and change your plans on the fly.
It’s no surprise that 7% of Millennials are now using AI to plan their holidays, compared to just 2% of Gen X, according to the Association of British Travel Agent’s 2025 Travel Trends Report.
But here’s the twist – while international jet setters have embraced new technology, nostalgia travel is making a huge comeback, says Aidan Butler, co-founder of Australian international roaming provider and eSIM specialist Simify.
While AI is streamlining travel logistics, travellers are still chasing that classic experience: a coffee in a Parisian café, a Vespa ride in Rome, a train journey through the Swiss Alps or a road trip across America.
“What we’re seeing is this interesting mix of tech-driven planning, combined with a real craving for nostalgia,” Butler says. “It’s all about recreating those iconic travel moments.”
“Gen X grew up seeing these places in movies and magazines, while Millennials grew up seeing them on Instagram. Now, people want to experience them for real — but with the ease of modern tech.”
Recently rebranding from SimsDirect, Simify was founded in 2018 by two young Australian entrepreneurs, who were frustrated with expensive and restrictive roaming packages.
Today, Simify offers mobile coverage in more than 150 countries, providing international travellers peace of mind in the form of unlimited data for up to 90 days.
The convenience of eSIM technology lets Simify users instantly switch between mobile networks, without the need to swap out physical SIM cards.
“The way we plan, book, and experience travel has changed dramatically,” Butler says. “Gone are the days of relying on cybercafés for emails, finding change for payphones or buying dodgy SIM cards at airport kiosks.”
“eSIMs let travellers get online the second they land, making it easy to share those nostalgic travel moments in real time.”
Rather than switching phone numbers, using an eSIM for unlimited roaming data from the likes of Simify lets travellers keep their existing mobile number active for receiving important notifications, such as verification codes from their bank.
“At the end of the day, travel is about experiences – whether you’re discovering a place for the first time or revisiting a childhood dream,” Butler says.
“When you’re off on your big adventure, the last thing you want to worry about is whether mobile data is going to leave you in the lurch.”
To explore some of Simify’s global eSIM packages go to: https://simify.com/collections/esim-thailand