The secret to success for hotels… Decode Gen Z travel preferences!

Today travel has now become a significant form of self-expression and self-actualization.  Rooted in digital fluency, sustainability, and value-driven choices, their preferences will shape how the marketplace will market, design, price, and operate. Total transformation will be forced and not a matter of choice.

Here’s an in-depth analysis at their behaviours, drivers, and actionable takeaways for travel brands, hotel operators, and destination managers. From GenX to GenY to Millennials to and Gen Z…. things are changing more rapidly today than ever before. Who the future Travelers are likely to be?

• • He/She (please pardon my non-inclusion of objective and subjective pronouns of today) will be a millennial, Gen Z travellers as they are called— born from the late 1990s to the early 2010s—they will redefining how we think about travel, hospitality, and experience design and art.
  • Most likely they will be belonging to the “DINK” & “FIRE” segments. (DINK -Double Income No Kids) (FIRE – Financially Independent to Retire Early)
  • Social Media & digital Connect is extremely important and central to his/her daily life. He/She will culturally be very conscious and is likely to be hyper social.
  • He/she will always continue to look for the next new ‘in’ thing. Quality, branding and service will be a selling point but will never become the central pivot for decision making in their mindset.
  • They will be extremely passionate about travel experiences. They most likely will be seekers; they would want to design their own distinct travel experiences; they want to carve out their own inspirations.
  • They will be ‘experience collectors’. Travel and holidays for them will represent the finest, most unique and culturally diverse experiences they want to accumulate and talk about.
  • Luxury for them is no longer about gold faucets, complimentary champagne, large amenities basket or mundane standardized butler service.
  • He/She will be used to instant gratification and they use social dedia and other technology innovations to achieve the same.
  • He/She will be focused on individualism, like never before. Experiences for them is less about the mainstream and more about niches and personalization.
  • ‘Work Hard, Play Harder’ is their new moto. Their fast-paced, lavish lives are interwoven and not fragmented into silos.
  • Booking and trip-planning will be completely transformed. It will be ‘Mobile-first decision making’: Gen Z will research, compare, and book trips primarily on smartphones assisted with AI.
  • Discovery will be through ‘social creators’ (Influencers, short-form videos, peer recommendations etc.) Going forward authenticity will beat glossy brand advertisement.
  • Transparent pricing and value for money is here to stay. The evolved travellers of tomorrow will prefer clear total costs & instant perks. Late checkout charges, date change penalties, no-refund clauses will soon disappear
  • Social spaces that encourage connection, communal lounges, rooftop bars, co-working nooks, and curated social activity zones will replace marble lobbies with grand old man playing a piano.
  • Sustainability and minimalism will no longer remain buzz words and lifestyle trends. For millennials it will be a way of life. Energy-efficient lighting, reusable amenities, waste reduction programs will resonate deeply.
  • Local, authentic dining experiences, preference for locally sourced ingredients, regional cuisines and partnerships with home chefs will drive F&B patronage.
  • Vegan culture and dietary transparency will have to be widely followed. Experiential dining, pop-ups, chef-led collaborations, and storytelling around food enhance social currency and is here to stay for good.