Twenty3

With the Northern Hemisphere's summer holiday season in full swing, Southern Europe expects a busy season as tourists flock to its beaches. Spain, Italy, and France are seeing a surge in visitors, surpassing pre-pandemic numbers. Last year, 1.3 billion people travelled internationally, still 10% below 2019 levels but over 200% up from 2020. The OECD reports uneven recovery, with Europe benefiting from strong intra-European and American travel, while U.S. inbound travel remains 16% below pre-pandemic levels due to the strong dollar. #trends

Quiet vacationing, taking time off without informing your boss, reflects a toxic work culture. In the US, 78% of workers don't use all their paid time off, fearing they'll appear lazy. A Harris poll found that 76% of workers wish their workplace valued regular breaks and utilizing paid time off more and nearly 40% of millennials take time off without telling their manager. Many schedule messages to appear as if they're working overtime. #trends

A viral Chinese-English phrase, "city 不 city啊?" (city or not city), humorously divides life into "city" and "not city," with "city" meaning stylish or trendy. Originating from Shanghai-based Paul Mike Ashton (@bao_bao_xiong_), it has inspired travel promotions and posts by celebrities like Lang Lang and Zhou Yutong, celebrating Chinese culture with a playful, universal appeal. #trends

Travelers are rediscovering the value of travel agents, reversing a trend that once suggested their obsolescence. Since the industry's mid-'90s peak, the number of travel agents had halved by 2014, with predictions of further decline. However, by 2021, 76% of advisors reported an increase in customers compared to pre-pandemic levels. A 2023 survey of 2,000 American travellers revealed that 38% of Gen Z and millennial respondents preferred traditional travel agents over online booking platforms, a sentiment shared by only 12% of Gen Xers and 2% of baby boomers. #trends

According to NielsenIQ’s Gen Z Spending Report, Gen Z emerges as the wealthiest generation at its current life stage compared to previous generations, bolstered by income advantages. Gen Z currently represents about 17.1% of the global spend totalling $57.6 trillion USD, a figure expected to rise to 18.7% by 2030 as global spending reaches $67.2 trillion USD. By 2034, Gen Z is projected to contribute nearly $9 trillion USD to global spending, surpassing all other generations in economic impact. #trends

Influencers often oversaturate social media feeds and can negatively impact brand perception. In contrast, 86% of consumers trust brands using user-generated content (UGC) over influencer marketing. Real customer endorsements are more effective, with 80% preferring recommendations from friends or peers and 90% making purchases based on these endorsements, while 62% have never bought a celebrity-promoted product. #trends

New York City-based start-up Frich aims to create a social financial community for Gen Z, allowing users to ask questions and share financial data anonymously to understand their peers' financial status without feeling competitive. Frich primarily functions as a community-driven money app. Other fintechs also target Gen Z, such as Alinea Invest, which raised $3.4 million in January for its AI-powered wealth management app for Gen Z women, and Bloom, a zero-commission stock investing tool for teens, which reached 1 million downloads shortly after its February 2022 launch. #trends

Following the conclusion of filming for Season 3 of The White Lotus at various resorts and locations in Thailand, the country is preparing for an anticipated increase in tourism. Although the series won't air until next year, hotels and tour operators are gearing up for a potential surge in bookings, dubbed the "White Lotus bump." Black Tomato, a luxury travel agency that specialises in “set-jetting” vacations designed around popular movies, has already seen a 44% increase in sales to Thailand in the first four months of this year compared to the same period last year, with prices rising approximately 15%. #trends

Inflection AI, a start-up specializing in artificial intelligence, has launched Pi, a chatbot designed to offer emotional support and validation to users. Pi represents a trend where technology companies are enhancing chatbots with personality and conversational skills, akin to Snapchat’s My AI system. Positioned as a public benefit corporation, Pi aims to develop trustworthy AI that avoids giving bad advice or facilitating harmful behaviour. To enhance its capabilities, Inflection AI collaborated with therapists to train Pi's algorithm extensively over the past year. #trends

Joy wine was created to attract untapped, non-wine-drinking Gen Z and Millennials audiences. Since its 2023 launch, the brand has seen a 53% increase in sales from first-time wine buyers. Collaborating with over 100 influencers, JOY encouraged authentic endorsements and generated more than 300 pieces of user-generated content across social media. The campaign focuses on key brand pillars such as music, travel, entertainment, and dating, areas known to strongly resonate with this demographic. #trends