A guide to attracting Gen-Z to your hospitality business
Generation Z, or “Gen-Z” refers to anyone born between the years of 1997 and 2012. As the oldest members of this cohort graduate from college and join the workforce, they’re eager to explore the world. Get to know a new generation of travelers with our guide.
The way Gen-Z travelers approach traveling is fundamentally different from previous generations. Here’s what you need to know to attract them to your hospitality business:
1. They’re looking to maximize every experience
For Gen-Z, “experiences over things” is more than just a phrase. With travel, they don’t just want to make memories. The entire experience needs to be curated just so—not so it can be “perfect,” but so that it can maximize every moment.
This is a generation defined by global volatility and uncertainty in recent years, including a global pandemic that stopped travel completely, an emphasis on social justice, and an awareness (and anxiety) over the climate crisis just as they’ve come of age. When it comes to travel, this is a generation very aware that the time to go is now.
Gen Z is clearly looking to make up for lost time. Two-thirds of Gen Zers ranked “travel and seeing the world” as the most important way to spend their money, and they plan to take five trips in the next year, more than Millennials (who say they are planning 4 trips this year) and Boomers (who plan to take 3 trips). And 64% of Gen-Zers plan to spend more on travel this year than last year.
It’s not just “revenge travel” we’ve seen fueling travel demand—93% of respondents to a recent survey plan to travel in the next year—but making up for the kind of formative experiences denied to them, like canceled proms, graduations, and other celebrations.
2. They seek out connection with other travelers
While family travel is still popular, they’re also more likely to plan a trip with a group of friends instead. This is where hotels in particular have their work cut out for them. Gen Z is inclined to book group gatherings as opposed to individual hotel rooms. For them, hotels aren’t just a place to crash for the night, but a part of the overall experience. You’ll need to appeal to their sense of community—how they can meet other people, for example, or show off your communal spaces like bars, pools, and event areas.
For example, Hostelworld, an online travel agency that focuses on Gen-Z, facilitates an online chat room with everyone with a booking at a given hostel at the same time, which opens two weeks before the trip, as an example. How do you give guests an opportunity to connect with one another? Whether it’s welcome happy hour, friendly pooltime competitions, or other events, emphasize more than just a place to sleep for the night when you market your hotel.
3. They want a trip that’s aligned with their values
Gen-Z, more than other generations, look for everything they do to line up with their values. They don’t just want to see the world, they want to learn as much as they can, and protect it at all cost. This is a generation that wants to be a part of something bigger.
You can’t pay lip service to sustainability—this is an area that Gen-Z actively seeks out when choosing where to spend their money. This is a group that over-indexes for volunteering and eco-tourism by a whopping 58% compared to other age groups, according to YouGov. This means bringing your eco-friendly policies front and center, such as implementing a zero-waste or compost program, sourcing restaurant ingredients from local farms, and eliminating plastic. What’s important to note here is that Gen-Z, even more than your average consumer, can sniff out empty marketing language a mile away. If you plan to talk about your sustainable efforts, or make it a pillar of your marketing to attract them, you have to follow through.
4. They’re interested in adventure and wellness
Gen-Zers, compared to other age groups, are much more likely to choose “adventure” as their primary reason for travel. According to YouGov, 50% of people ages 18-24 say they are looking for adventure on their vacations compared with just 30% of people 25 and older. Plus, Gen Z over-indexes by 30% against other age groups in listing adventure as a crucial part of the vacation experience.
When it comes to type of trip, a cultural/sightseeing trip remains the most popular, with 32% of travelers of all ages planning one in the next few months. As you think about your hospitality business, talking about new, local experiences is what’s going to appeal to younger travelers.
Gen-Z also are twice as likely to plan a trip around a wellness experience compared to older generations. This isn’t just a spa trip, though it may include one. “Wellness” has become a catch-all term that refers to any kind of self-care, including exercise, healthy meal choices, and relaxation. It’s all in the details.
5. They care about the wisdom of the crowds
Gen-Z’s idea of “word of mouth” comes directly from social media. Unlike millennials and other age groups, Google searches are not necessarily their first stop to find information on destinations, but rather platforms like TikTok and Instagram.
As digital natives, Gen-Zers actively look for reviews and opinions of travelers like them when it comes to making their decisions. When they do decide to book, they turn to the more than 73 million reviews and opinions on Tripadvisor to guide their decision.
Gen-Z travelers are looking for a very different experience than previous generations. Stand out from the crowd with Tripadvisor for Business solutions that can enhance your listing, help more young travelers find your business, and more.
Adapted from tripadvisor.co.za
