The Daily Telegraph - Saturday - Travel
Why Gen Z thinks your holiday is depressing and narrow-minded
Cruises and all-inclusives are out – but what do they suggest instead? Hazel Plush finds out
Every generation thinks it is better, savvier and smarter than its predecessors – and rolls its eyes at its elders. But none has been able to voice its complaints as loudly as today’s under-30s on social media, nor enjoyed the spending power that they already have: Gen Z (those aged 11 to 26) currently commands $360billion – £294billion – in disposable income, says Bloomberg, a figure that will only increase as the cohort comes of age.
So how will young people spend it – and what do they think of how the older generations have spent their money? With almost three-quarters of under30s (72 per cent) planning to increase their outlay on travel in 2024, according to a recent study by Hilton, we asked a Gen Z panel what they think of holiday types favoured by Millennials (27-42) and Boomers (59-68), where they “fall short” – and what they think they should be doing instead.
The fly-and-flop beach holiday
A week’s all-inclusive – with nothing but a good book, juicy podcast and abundant sunshine. What’s not to love? Plenty, according to Gen Z, which was declared the UK’s most adventurous generation in a recent study by Icelandair, with 59 per cent preferring active trips over any other holiday style.
“I can’t think of anything worse than spending your hard-earned money to visit a place and not leaving the hotel,” says Annie Shortland, a 26-year-old freelance designer and costume dresser from Hertfordshire.
“I know people who’ve flown abroad and eaten nothing but all-inclusive food and flopped in the sun without seeing any of the sights – and all their photos are of themselves! I want to experience different cultures. I think it definitely makes you a much more rounded person when you see so many different approaches to life – and nothing is more inspiring than soaking up another country’s heritage.”
In the Icelandair study, just 9 per cent of its 2,000 Gen Z respondents said they travelled with the sole purpose of relaxing. A recent report by Hilton, too, revealed that 52 per cent of under-30s “prioritise exploration and adventure” when travelling – a contrast to the 60 per cent of Millennials who simply want to “rest and recharge” on their holidays.
“The idea that a whole generation of people only want to see the inside of their hotel when they go on holiday is so depressing to me,” says Gretta Boyle, a 25-year-old digital marketer from London. “It’s so narrow-minded to visit another country and not even try to meet the people or experience the culture. There’s a whole world out there, you know.”
The weekend city break
For those tethered to the nine-to-five, a weekend getaway has long delivered a quick travel fix. Fly out on a Friday, spend the weekend dipping into places you’ve dog-eared in the guidebook, and then catch a late flight home on Sunday evening – back at your desk in time for Monday. But does the weekend minibreak appeal to today’s youngsters?
“I actually think it’s pretty split,” says 24-year-old Morgan Grace, from Kent. “On the one hand, quick weekend breaks and ‘day trips to xyz city’ are always going viral on TikTok – and with these trips sometimes being cheaper than a night out in the UK, I think a lot of people my age are very attracted to them.
“However, my generation is much more conscious of the environmental impact – and viral TikToks about minibreaks are often full of comments about the environment. So, I think it’s still very much an older generation thing to do.”
The boozed-up stag do
Your days of staggering around an unpronounceable European city with a bottle of vodka gaffer-taped to each hand are, perhaps, over. But for stags and hens of a certain age, this was a rite of passage – whether you enjoyed it or not.
For some Gen Z-ers, a generation that’s famously abstemious, these antics are mortifying. “I think it’s embarrassing that Brits are known for flying abroad, drinking and not attempting [to speak] the language,” says Shortland.
But others are more forgiving. “I don’t think our parents showed us up as a generation,” says 22-year-old Eva Bacchoo, speaking to student marketing agency Hype Collective in a recent panel session. “I think it was in keeping with the times.
“Nowadays, more people, myself included, choose not to drink. I feel like there is still a good balance of ‘party holidays’ in resorts such as Magaluf, Malia and Zante, but these locations are becoming more accommodating for non-drinkers. Many bars now offer mocktails, and towns have more activities than just bars and clubs.”
The whistle-stop cruise
“The fact that cruise holidays are so hugely popular just heightens my view that the British public is becoming increasingly lazy,” says Emma Thomas, a 21-year-old marketing assistant at ToWander UK.
“Most of the time on a cruise you’re not free to explore and there are higher costs… I’d rather do it myself than opt for a cruise company to control my whole holiday.”
Once the epitome of aspirational holidays, the cruise gets a firm thumbs down from Gen Z, thanks to its often fast-paced itineraries and indulgent ethos. “Cruises just feel like the posher, older-person’s version of the all-inclusive holiday to me,” says Rebecca Crowe, a 28-year-old writer and travel blogger from Liverpool.
“You stay on a floating resort and occasionally leave for a few hours to visit a place, then hurry back to the boat for dinner and drinks and move on to the next stop.
“It seems like a good way to see a lot of places, but really you’re seeing more of the inside of the boat than anywhere else.”