How Gen Z will travel in 2025: Their travel is much smarter, bolder, and sustainable

Did you know that 72% of Gen Z travellers actively choose sustainable travel over traditional tourism? Forget travel agents and rigid itineraries—this generation is rewriting the rules of travel with smarter, bolder, and more sustainable choices. From AI-driven itineraries to cashless transactions, here’s how they’re reshaping travel forever.
From solo travel and digital nomad lifestyles to cashless transactions and environmentally friendly traveling, let’s take a glance at how Gen Z will be influencing the future of travel.

Trip Planning: How Gen Z Uses AI Instead of Travel Agents

Gen Z no longer relies on travel agents. Instead, they use TikTok, Instagram, and Reddit to discover hidden gems, budget hacks, and offbeat destinations through vlogs and influencer recommendations. Instead of relying on dull guidebooks, they switch to ChatGPT or Bard, which are AI-powered travel assistants for uniquely designed travel plans.

Social media plays a crucial role in spotlighting lesser-known destinations, often turning them into viral travel hotspots. From a hidden café in Japan to an untouched beach in Vietnam, Gen Z nomads tend to chase new experiences rather than going to predicted tourist spots.

Traveling on a budget while placing experiences at the top of their list.

Unlike previous generations who sought five-star experiences, Gen Z travelers prioritize authentic connections over luxury. This is why they ditch expensive hotels for budget-friendly stays like hostels, Airbnbs, and co-living spaces. It’s not just about saving money—it’s about fostering global communities. Most Gen Z travelers fly budget airlines and rely on overnight trains or local buses. This stretches their budget and allows them to see more places for less.

Working remotely has become more widespread, therefore enabling the Gen Z population to live the digital nomad lifestyle. The rise of remote work allows Gen Z to blend travel with career goals, turning destinations like Bali, Thailand, and Portugal into long-term workspaces. Consequently, instead of staying for a few days, they spend weeks or even months at a single location.

Eco-Friendly Travel: Gen Z’s Responsible Choices

Gen Z is keen on eco-friendly traveling. They tend to book eco-friendly hotels, zero-carbon flights, and ethical tourism activities. They focus on responsible tourism instead of engaging in supporting mass tourism, which includes:
Staying in renewable energy-powered accommodations that follow zero-waste policies.
Traveling around the region using public transport, bicycles, and electric scooters instead of renting cars.
Booking local community-driven homestays that support the local economy.

Gen Z is, however, willing to sacrifice some comfort for environmentally friendly services, which many airlines and hospitality brands are realizing is a growing market opportunity due to marketing towards eco-friendly practices.

The Rise of Traveling Alone and Virtual Communities

Traveling alone is on the rise, particularly for women in Generation Z who are increasingly using safety apps, GPS, and women-only hostels to travel to different places. Likewise, Facebook, Discord, and Meetup network communities enable solo travelers to connect with people who share similar interests and plan group trips on short notice.
In 2025, people are more likely to travel for experiences like:
– Adventure tourism, specifically trekking, scuba diving, and rock climbing.
– Cultural immersion, including food tours and craft workshops.
– Festival tourism, referring to widely known international events such as Coachella, Oktoberfest, and Holi.

Gen Z travelers are more likely to seek authentic, community-based models of travel that go beyond traditional tourism.

Digital Payments and Simplified Travel

Cash is rarely seen in the hands of Gen Z travelers. With the rise of UPI payments, digital wallets, and cryptocurrency, travel has increasingly become cashless. International destinations are also changing and now accept contactless payments, QR codes, and digital tipping.
Budget travelers also benefit from cost tracking, flight deal monitoring, and last-minute bookings across numerous websites, all aided by AI.

Technology Enhancements on Travel Vlogs: Travel Bots, AR, and VR Travel Guides.
Now, traveling has become convenient mainly because of the use of artificial intelligence. The technological innovation of chatbots for purchase or AR travel guides has drastically broken traditional barriers set for travel planning.

With augmented reality-powered AI technology surging in popularity among millennials and Gen Z cells, some of the innovations set to emerge regarding traveling by 2025 include:

Augmented tours to replace traditional audio tours of major landmarks.
Self-guided tours with multilingual webpages in lieu of physical travel kiosks.
AI-powered bots that compile two separate personalized itineraries.
Purchasing items using AI travel bots and VR headsets. Online shopping for digital assets that allow for a more immersive experience during travel.

“Food and Culture” As Termed by Tourists

Instead of eating out at well-known tourist restaurants, Gen Z spends the most on local food. They would prefer homemade cuisine and local street food made over fast food. There is a rapid increase in culinary tours and cooking classes, as well as micro-restaurants serving vegan, plant-based, and eco-friendly foods.
Influencers and traveling bloggers expand food tourism by exposing hidden gems and local investment of different regions and their specialties through social media.

The Future of Travel for Generation Z

With technology on their side, Gen Z is looking for cost-effective and sustainable travel alternatives, which is what they have actively utilized in the past few years of the pandemic. They are already starting to carve a new path in tourism by working remotely in Southeast Asia and attending a multitude of cultural festivals, all while being eco-friendly.

With technology, sustainability, and affordability at the forefront, Gen Z isn’t just following travel trends—they’re creating them. As the future of travel evolves, how will YOU adapt? Drop your thoughts in the comments below!