With the summer holidays coming up, it’s the perfect time to dive into some Gen Z tourism trends to find out what drives this generation and what they look for in their travels and holidays. 

• Aesthetics are key. Generation Z knows that fleeting experiences can be materialised through social media posts. It is important to them to share their holidays and adventures, and essentially, they need to look good. 43% of them claim they ‘seek experiences that will make for great content on their social media’, compared to, for example, only 21% of 55+ travelers.
  
  
• Surrender seekers. Younger generations are more comfortable exchanging predictability and planning in favour of excitement and surprise. This also includes booking more ad-hoc trips without knowing all the specifics. In general, 52% of travelers are keen to book a surprise trip where everything down to the destination is unknown until arrival. 51% of Generation Z would even trust an AI to book a complete surprise trip for them, compared to 30% of Baby boomers.
  
  
• Social media is a big influence. Recommendations are the biggest influential factor in deciding the location. But social media plays a significant role as well, partially because of the role of inspiring content shared by (travel) influencers and friends online. 39% of 18-24 year olds say social media helps them plan their vacation, compared to 29% of people 25 and over.
  
  
• Discovery & Exploration. Generation Z has a stronger desire to travel far. Often more focused on discovering completely different cultures or continents (compared older generations that more often prefer domestic or close trips that are more likely to be for a certain purpose like relaxing, sports or the sun). A key implication is that they are currently traveling to develop and grow themselves. 43% of Gen Z’ers say it is very important that they experience something new when they travel, and the top priority for their travel budget is exploration and adventure (52%).
  
  
• A need for authenticity. In their pursuit of new and exciting experiences, they are less picky about accommodation. This is partially because of financial restrictions, but they also prefer authentic (but less luxurious) because it makes for more unique experiences. Accommodations that mimic how locals live are more likely to give a genuine and true experience of the location. That is why couchsurfing and rented rooms in other people’s apartments are more popular among 18-24 year olds, while luxury hotels and bed & breakfasts are more popular for older generations.