Gen Z leading the charge toward sustainable travel
Australia, 17 July – New research from global travel leader Booking.com reveals that Gen Z Australians (those between the ages of 16-24) are predicted to be more socially and environmentally aware than the generations before them, with half saying the environment impact that travelling has on destinations is important to consider when on holiday.
The global research conducted across 29 markets uncovers the travel behaviours and ambitions of this coming-of-age generation. The research reinforces that travellers of all ages are embracing an eco-escape and Gen Z is no exception. They too plan to be conscious travellers with a desire to ‘give back’ - whether that’s to the communities they visit, or by making decisions designed to help protect our planet.
Generation give back
Gen Z Australians are determined to give back, making them the generation most likely to volunteer as a travel experience (38%), believing it makes a trip more authentic. More than two in five (42%) of Australian Gen Z travellers that haven’t volunteered before would be open to doing it on a future trip, with almost half also stating they believe it is important to give back to the local community when travelling (44%).
Generational intentions with impact
When planning their next trip, Gen Z Australians indicated they are mindful of the planet and the effect their decisions have on it, with half (50%) stating the environmental impact travelling has on destinations is an important factor that needs to be considered while on holiday. More than half (52%) would visit a less known destination over a popular one if it meant having less of an impact on the environment.
When looking at over-tourism specifically, 52% of Australian Gen Z travellers would consider not visiting a destination if they knew it was threatened to be damaged due to over-tourism. This means Baby Boomer (those aged 55+) at 43%, Gen X (those aged 40-54) at 48% and Millennials (those aged 25-39) at 44% all ranked lower.
Over half (52%) of Gen Z travellers have good intentions, stating that when it comes to planning and booking travel they would want to stay in a green/eco-friendly accommodation. This is again the highest when compared to older generations as Baby Boomers are the least likely (39%) to opt for an eco-mmodation, followed by Millenials (46%) and Gen X (48%).
A-to-B for Gen Z
Over half (51%) of global travellers of all ages (42% locally) would choose to reduce their carbon footprint by limiting the distance they travel and this number increases further for Gen Z alone, as 63% (53% of Australians) state they would use more environmentally friendly means of transportation, such as hybrid / electric rental cars, public transport, walking or biking, once they are at their destination.
Overall, Gen Z is a generation of good intentions and they are aware of the impact their travel could have on the environment. They really are leading the charge in this space, with Booking.com research reveals that in some aspects of travel, it is Gen Z who have sustainable travel figured out.
To find out more about the travel habits of the Gen Z traveller, visit http://destinationgenz.com/