A Trusted Friend in a Complicated World
By Aaron Rasmussen
Updated on Dec. 08, 2025
Younger travelers are tossing the guidebooks and reshaping the future of travel on their own terms
When Gen Z colleagues Aly Davis and Madison Walters plan their getaways, they both use one tool above all others: social media. “I rely heavily on social media to plan trips, from restaurants and hotels to overall destinations, rather than using travel agents like older generations,” says Davis, a 23-year-old social media and PR coordinator at Florida-based marketing agency Aqua.
Walters agrees. “With the internet really blossoming as Gen Z grew up, it also makes it a lot more accessible to be able to book a flight with just a few clicks,” says the copywriter, 25. That spontaneity, she adds, is a hallmark of Gen Z, generally defined as anyone born between 1997 and 2012. “The older generations have trips planned a year in advance, whereas Gen Z travelers have no issue booking a trip a day before they are set to leave.”
And once they’re out and about in the world, Gen Z approaches travel in a distinctive way. When Francisco Perdamo, a 28-year-old senior account executive in the travel division of Fort Lauderdale–based Finn Partners, visited Portugal last summer, he and his girlfriend stayed in Airbnbs in Lisbon and Porto—as many travelers do—but also dipped into the region’s luxury hotel scene. “During the day, we’d still pop into the lobbies of the Ritz, Four Seasons or Aman and order one ridiculously good cocktail at the bar, people-watch the ultra-rich and leave,” the elder Gen Zer says. The strategy, he notes, offered “zero guilt, all the vibe, with none of the $1,500-per-night price tags.”
These are just a few ways this generation is rewriting the travel playbook. Ahead, we talk to Davis, Walters and Perdamo to see how Gen Z is exploring the world (and their own backyard). Then we checked in with global travel-trends expert Laura Lindsay at Skyscanner, a leading travel search engine; Michaela Moore, a senior travel advisor with Creative Vacations; and hospitality professional Sean Richard. Read on to learn the trends Gen Z is shaping and how every generation can benefit from taking a page out of these younger travelers’ passports.
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Though their career outlook can be shakier than that of other generations, Gen Zers aren’t cutting back on travel. In fact, a new Skyscanner survey found that 52% of Gen Z plans to increase vacations abroad in 2026, and 45% are budgeting to spend more on their travel plans.
“Their approach to travel is savvier than ever before, leveraging the latest technology to find the best deals to maximize their budgets and get to the destinations they want to visit,” Lindsay says. They’re embracing features like price alerts and “everywhere search” (which points travelers without a destination preference toward affordable flights). “Gen Z is the most open to AI’s capabilities, with 72% expressing they feel confident using AI to plan and book travel in 2026,” she says.
But they’re far from robotic about their AI love—they also strive to make trips feel authentic and personal. “Gen Z has an experience-first mindset when it comes to travel, driving their determination to explore new destinations and tailor their trips to their personal interests, including beauty, food, art, outdoor adventures, reading and more,” Lindsay says. “They are integrating their identity—values, interests, self-care—into their itinerary.”
Perdamo sums it up: “Millennials created the ‘do it for the ‘gram’ era,” speaking of that generation’s Instagram-centric travel habits, “but we’ve leveled up to ‘do it for the feeling, the story and the impact.’”
Compared to baby boomers, Gen X and millennials, Gen Z takes a more-the-merrier approach to travel. They’re less concerned with the impact of overtourism, which may help explain those long lines at popular spots and why they don’t mind recreating the same experience that everyone else is having.
“Gen Z is looking to social platforms like Instagram (60%), TikTok (53%) and YouTube (54%) for travel inspiration, and even if a destination is trending and likely drawing a big crowd as a result, they are still determined to visit as long as there are things they want to see or do in these places,” Lindsay says.
This combination of tech-savvy, personal expression and experience-first planning is giving rise to a fresh set of travel behaviors. From destinations inspired by the latest streaming obsessions to trips as therapy, the latest trends see Gen Z embracing a fresh approach to travel even as they’re redefining the habits of generations before them. Here are the top new themes to watch for in 2026.
That rhymes with weekends, for you non-Gen Zers. Younger travelers are increasingly opting for shorter, more spontaneous trips designed purely to reset emotionally or mentally, and these getaways are no longer tied to major milestones.
“Millennials still love a solid two-week vacation; we’re more likely to sprinkle five or six four-day micro-cations throughout the year now that remote work is normal,” Perdamo says, explaining that he and his peers watched millennials grind in offices and then splurge on one big annual trip. “We’d rather protect our peace year-round with little resets.”
Burned out on dating apps and unimpressed with their local dating pools, Gen Z travelers are expanding their frontiers for romance and connection. According to Skyscanner, 74% of the generation is using travel to check out the scenes in new cities and spark meaningful connections beyond their home turf.
“More than one-third of Gen Z—34%—say they’re more open to meeting others while traveling and they feel freer to be themselves,” Lindsay says.
Moore says Gen Z travelers—who she describes as “more adventurous” than other generations—are choosing destinations specifically for celebrations, concerts, festivals and other pop-culture moments. “We are seeing experiences centered around a specific thing that is important to them, and we are now building around that to complete the experience,” she says. “They are hitting the ground running in new-to-them destinations with more curated and interest-driven experiences and activities. They want to see everything … their way. We love it!”
For example, Perdamo traveled to the Bahamas early this year for a “people-to-people” experience marking the country’s independence anniversary celebrations. “Picture: staying at a local guesthouse, spending a day cooking with a Bahamian family, learning how to make proper conch salad and johnnycakes, then experiencing a Junkanoo pop-up party on the beach,” he says of his immersive itinerary. “My parents would have probably booked an all-inclusive resort and maybe done one organized excursion—for us, the authentic connection is the whole point of the trip.”
Gen Z is looking to go off the grid, embracing remote, disconnected travel in places that make it hard to stay online. These travelers are choosing destinations that force them to unplug, setting firmer boundaries between work and vacation.
That goes for closer locales too: “Digital detox is way bigger for us,” Perdamo says. “Half my friends’ bachelor and bachelorette trips are now ‘no phones in the villa’ weekends instead of Vegas bottle service.”
Still, when completely disconnecting isn’t possible, they’re careful not to stay tethered to work the way older generations often are. “Combining work and travel is the most popular trend with Gen Z that I’ve seen at Altamer,” says Richard, who is the general manager of Altamer Villas on the Caribbean island of Anguilla. “They typically spend a short time, no more than an hour, answering important emails in the morning and then completely disconnect for the rest of the day [so they can] focus on enjoying the beaches, sunset-boat excursions, diving and pool-deck massages.”
Returning to places that evoke long-ago memories and other emotional touchpoints is becoming a major draw for Gen Z. A recent study by Contiki, a social tour company for younger travelers, found that 23% of its audience has already taken a nostalgia-fueled trip, and 55% have one on their wish list. The most popular version: retaking a trip from childhood.
Childhood pop-culture memories inspire travel too. “I have been seeing a lot of trips to go see nostalgic areas,” Gen Z traveler Walters says. She points to TikTok examples of her peers heading to Utah to see the school where High School Musical was filmed or flying to London to find the bookstore that inspired the movie Notting Hill.
Checking out a destination’s food scene is a universal pastime across generations, but Gen Z is swapping Michelin stars, a favorite of more-established Gen X and boomers, and heading straight for the snack aisle.
According to Skyscanner’s Lindsay, 32% of Gen Z travelers plan to visit a supermarket on their next vacation. “A sense of discovery is the driving force behind this trend,” she says. “Gen Z is heading to supermarkets and convenience stores to find foods they can’t get at home (44%) and try unique flavors of global brands (43%).”
Younger travelers are literally reaching new highs on vacation, with more and more choosing mountain getaways for what Lindsay calls an “altitude shift.” According to Skyscanner, 58% of Gen Z is retreating to the mountains. “They are seeking serenity,” she says. “Mountain destinations, from the Dolomites to Annapurna to the Canadian Rockies, are attracting visitors year-round for off-peak peace.”
Beach vacations are no longer just about kicking back and soaking up the sun. Gen Z is reimagining them as adventurous, activity-driven escapes. According to Skyscanner, more than half of Gen Z (51%) are interested in beach vacations, and more than a third (34%) plan to incorporate water-based activities like wild swimming, snorkeling, paddleboarding or surfing into their upcoming beach trips.
“For us, travel isn’t about checking boxes or collecting passport stamps [like] the older generations sometimes did,” Perdamo says. “It’s about collecting feelings, aesthetics and little moments that look incredible on camera but also feel good in real life.”
Richard is witnessing the same shift play out at the Anguillan resort: Gen Z, he says, is redefining the idea that traveling young is all about parties. “Instead, it’s about self-expression, flexibility and meaningful experiences,” he says of their “highly fluid” itineraries.
Multigenerational travel is surging, especially among Gen Z. Over the past two years, Skyscanner reports, 52% of Gen Z adults have traveled with their parents (compared with just 25% of millennials). Another 37% have taken trips with parents and grandparents, and 28% have vacationed with grandparents alone.
While the cost-sharing perks are obvious, Gen Z’s motivation goes deeper. They’re making an intentional choice to prioritize and reclaim meaningful time with family and create long-lasting memories.
With Gen Z already reshaping how and why we travel, it’s easy to overlook Gen Alpha, the next wave right behind them. These travelers-in-training—kids 14 and younger—are poised to influence the future of tourism and how we explore the world. According to Hilton’s 2025 Trends Report, Gen Alpha is remarkably tech-savvy and already influencing their parents’ decisions, including those of young Gen Z moms and dads.
Global survey respondents revealed that 56% of families choose to stay in hotels based on youth programming, while 63% of parents on vacation let their children decide where to eat. In other words, these kids have a voice and are no longer on the sidelines. While they may shape family trips now, soon enough, like Gen Z, they’ll be transforming the industry at large.
Reader’s Digest has published hundreds of travel stories that help readers explore the world safely, easily and affordably. We regularly cover topics such as the best places to visit (and the best times to visit them), tips and tricks to zoom through airport security, flight-attendant secrets, hotel-room hacks and more. We’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing, and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.
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