August 10th, 2022, Bhavika Bansal
After nearly two years in a global lockdown, Gen Z is eager for real-world experiences. According to data from YouGov’s latest Travel & Tourism report 2022, this young cohort is poised to shape the travel industry in the coming years and holds the key to unlocking new opportunities for travel marketers and brands.
In this piece, we use data from YouGov Profiles to look at the preferred vacation types among Gen Z travelers in the US and Great Britain (GB) and the factors most likely to influence their choice of holiday destinations.
At 43%, beach vacations are the most popular type of holiday for Gen Z in the US.
While short city breaks and touristy trips for sightseeing are equally popular among the demographic (36%), nature driven trips to the lakes, mountains and countryside follow closely (35%).
Though they bring up the rear in the top five, trips to a theme park or amusement park are likely to be picked by slightly more than a quarter of 18-24-year-old Americans (26%).
A similar pattern is seen across the pond, in Great Britain.
Much like in the US, beach vacations are the most popular type of holiday among Gen Z Britons (31%). Holidays that combine relaxation and sightseeing come a close second, with a third of 18-24-year-olds (30%) opting for it.
Unlike their American counterparts however, only 29% of British Gen Z travelers generally take short city breaks. At the same time, less than one in five (18%) is likely to pick a holiday to the lakes, mountains or countryside.
There are also some interesting similarities and differences when we look at the reasons behind these holiday choices.
Low costs (US, 29%; GB, 30%) and overall value for money (US, 28%; GB, 34%) are the top two reasons that influence the type of holidays chosen by Gen Z travelers on both sides of the Atlantic.
The presence of family and friends in or near their chosen destination and the ability to remain active on holiday (having access to activities or sports like cycling, surfing, etc.) is more important for 18-24-year-olds in the US (23% and 22% respectively) than it is to British Gen Z (19% and 20% respectively).
However, Gen Z in GB is much more inclined to pick a holiday destination based on the availability of transportation (20%) - compared to only 14% in the US.
18-24-year-olds Americans are also more likely to pick a holiday destination that has been recommended to them (20%) or revisit a place that remains special or well liked (17%) than those in GB (15% and 14% respectively).
Nightlife is the least important factor for 18-24-year-olds in both countries, though it is slightly more important to Gen Z in GB (11%) than to Gen Z in the US (8%).
Methodology: YouGov Profiles is based on continuously collected data and rolling surveys, rather than from a single limited questionnaire. Profiles data for US and GB is nationally representative of the online population and weighted by age, gender, education, region, and race. Learn more about Profiles.
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