Key takeaways:
- 76% of Gen Z say that they will need to prioritize work over fun this summer, including taking on side hustles and extra hours.
- The most common reason for NOT traveling is money, with 72% citing their finances as the reason why they can’t take a vacation.
- 13% say that they are relying on their parents to help them pay for their travel plans.
- Given the option, 40% of Gen Z say they would rather travel with their family than with friends or their partner.
- 50% of Gen Z say they consider vacation destinations based on their suitability for social media content.
Where are you heading on your summer vacation? A relaxing break in the Caribbean? A jaunt to historic Europe? Or seeing the great sights in America?
Then again, perhaps you’re one of the 1 in 3 Gen Zers who say that their finances will stop them from taking a break this summer.
EduBirdie surveyed 2000 members of Gen Z on their summer vacation plans, asking them about everything from their finances to their travel preferences and other trends.
Gen Z’s vacation dilemma: Balancing fun and finances
Whether we like it or not, our lives are generally split between working and having fun. But some of us face a tougher challenge than others.
Of our Gen Z respondents, 76% said they would have to prioritize work over fun this summer. As for what that means in practice, 50% said they had taken on a side hustle or second job, and 26% were upping their hours at work.
Still, at least that hard work is paying off, with 67% of Gen Z saying that they do at least expect to take a vacation this summer. What’s more, many of them will be paying for their own tickets.
Overall, 59% of respondents said they paid for their summer vacation with their own money. Despite the popular conception of rich parents, just 13% said they had help from their folks, and 12% said their partner was the one footing the bill.
Naturally, Gen Z travelers appear to be watching their budget carefully, with 42% saying that they spend less than $1,000 on their typical summer getaway. There were other types of Gen Z travelers though, with 8% spending more than $5,000 on their trip.
A lack of funds was also the most common reason cited by 72% of those respondents who weren’t taking a vacation this year. Other reasons included not having anyone to travel with (6%) and not enjoying traveling in the first place (3%).
Gen Z’s travel trends: Family time and sustainability
Gen Z is known for liking to do things their own way. So does that extend to vacations too?
Asked what was the best thing about travel, 45% of our respondents said that they valued new cultures and experiences, with other popular options including having the chance to do nothing (15%) and trying local cuisine (9%).
Gen Z wasn't particularly unique in their attitudes towards traveling companions either. Overall 40% said they would prefer to travel with their family, 26% said they wanted to travel with their partners, and 23% preferred vacationing with friends.
When it comes to families, some 86% of Gen Z say they are nostalgic for their old family vacations. However, 1 in 3 said they doubted that their family would be able to afford a similar getaway in today’s economy.
Another noticeable travel trend was Gen Z’s passion for sustainability, with our respondents showing a clear preference for planet-friendly vacations.
Asked how they honor their commitment to being green, 45% said they only supported local and sustainable businesses on their vacation, 21% said they chose trains over flying, and 18% said they used eco-friendly hotels.
Social media impact: TikTok trends vs. digital detox
When it comes to a vacation, getting good photos for social media has become almost as important as remembering your passport and boarding pass.
So how is social media shaping the vacation choices of Gen Z? Overall, 39% say that they sometimes factor in social media content when choosing their vacation destinations, and 11% say they always do so.
Older forms of media are influential too, with 29% saying they had traveled to a destination because they’d seen it in a movie or on television.
Examples included visiting House of “Heisenberg” from Breaking Bad in Albuquerque, going to Greece after seeing Mamma Mia; an LOTR-inspired trip to New Zealand; and following in the footsteps of The Hangover in Las Vegas.
Although clearly not everything that you see on your phone is to be trusted, with 63% saying that they felt that viral vacation spots seen on social media were overrated in reality.
Likewise, there was some skepticism about so-called travel hacks and tips on social media, with 19% saying they had been scammed after following travel advice that they’d seen online.
And as important as the perfect vacation shot might be, plenty of Gen Z travelers are choosing to go the other way entirely. Indeed a noticeable Gen Z travel trend is using your vacation as a chance to check out from your digital life.
42% said they actively try to limit their screen time when on vacation, with 11% saying they like to go offline for at least one day – and 4% saying they would be away from their phones for more than a week.
Methodology: To create this study, researchers from EduBirdie surveyed 2,000 people in the Generation Z demographic. Participants were invited to share their experiences at random with no focus on particular genders, ethnicities, or social backgrounds.
