Writing about an entire generation, in pretty much any context, is tricky territory. After all, how do you accurately portray a group of people born across some two decades without unfairly—and inaccurately—generalizing them? (For the last time, millennials are not broke because they spent too much on avocado toast.) But when a new generation begins to enter the workforce and find their purchasing power, it makes sense that we'd want to get to know them and figure out, well, what's next.
For Gen Z, the world has never felt smaller or more accessible. They are the first generation of smartphone natives. Born after 1995 and before the mid-2000s, they have no memory of life before the internet, and most of their decisions are sparked, shaped, and chronicled through the lens of social media. But 24-hour access to a glowing screen has also gifted them with an acute global awareness. A tap or a swipe of an iPhone means they can be talking to a peer on a different continent one minute, and then live-streaming their evening from Times Square or virtually swimming with sharks the next. Sure, an inherent dependence on the internet might not always be a good thing, but when less and less of the world is unknown, it gets harder and harder to fear it.
It's that global awareness—and sense of curiosity—that inspired us to look into the relationship between Gen Z and travel. For her piece on how social media is dictating the way Gen Zers travel, Allie Jones talked to influencers in their late teens and early twenties about what they look for in their trips (authentic experiences and shareable memories), while Alex Postman penned an essay reflecting on everything she's learned from traveling with her Gen Z kids (near-impossible to distract from their screens, but sharply thoughtful when you do). Louis Cheslaw, meanwhile, has dived into why Gen Z will be the greenest travelers ever, Katherine LaGrave reports on the latest study abroad trends, and Shauna Beni sat down with 21-year-old Alexi Alford (or @lexielimitless) to find out what it's like to become the youngest person to visit every country in the world.
"I'm certain Gen Z is more worldly than any previous one," writes Postman in her essay. And that, we think, is something to get excited about. —Lale Arikoglu
Gen Z Might Just Be The Most Impossible-to-Please Generation of Travelers
And that's a good thing.
Gen Z Are Starting to Travel—And Instagram and YouTube Determine Where They Go
"Social media plays into, not only travel, but almost every aspect of life.”
Where to Find Grown-ish's Yara Shahidi on Vacation
From bagel shops in SoHo to beaches along France's Normandy coast.
Gen Z is set to make up 40 percent of consumer spending by 2020.
Peer-to-peer reviews hold the most sway over trip planning.
In the 2016-2017, 325,339 students from the U.S. studied abroad.
Sustainable travel beats high-priced luxury.
For Gen Z, Study Abroad Is About Way More Than Drinking Through Europe
With a greater global awareness than generations before them, college students want to effect change as they travel.
This Gen Zer Just Became the Youngest Person to Travel to Every Country
Alexis Alford—or Lexie Limitless as she's known on Instagram—has set the record at just 21 years old.
Gen Z Are Pressuring the Travel Industry in All the Right Ways
But is the industry ready to meet their needs?