Gen Z Ready to Ditch the Travel Cliches, Says New Topdeck Travel Study

Cliché captions, recreating ‘popular’ travel poses and food pics are Gen Z’s biggest pet peeves when it comes to travel photos shared on social media.

 

May 2021, London: With more and more Americans receiving vaccinations and beginning to think about their next vacation, a new study from Topdeck Travel reveals that Gen Z Americans are looking to change how they travel once the world reopens. After months spent at home, the past year has certainly been a time for reflection, and as we get closer to being able to travel internationally again, young people’s attitudes to travel are expected to change as new post-covid behaviors start to emerge.

 

Top 5 social media pet peeves for 18-25-year-olds

Posting pictures with cliché captions (37%)

‘Copy and paste’ popular tourist poses (34%)

Foodie/cocktail snaps (31%)

Snaps of iconic landmarks/attractions (30%)

Posting images of your hotel room (29%)

With summer vacations just around the corner, the research reveals that Gen Z is looking to switch up how they portray their next travel adventure on social media. 37% of young people stated that social media posts, including cliché captions such as ‘catch flights, not feelings’ and ‘my Monday is better than yours’ were the worst to share and wouldn’t show up on their own feeds during their next trips.

 

Recreating those artfully staged ‘popular’ tourist travel poses like ‘leaning’ on the Leaning Tower of Pisa (34%) and posting pictures of their latest meal or drink (31%) also topped the list, with overdone snaps of iconic landmarks/attractions (30%), posting images of the hotel room (29%), selfies that show off tan lines (28%) and photos taken out of the plane window (28%) following closely behind.

 

Top 5 future travel plans for 18-25-year-olds after lockdown

Recuperating and relaxing (29%)

Travel to a nearby destination just to get away (28%)

Take time off to travel for a longer period (27%)

Visit a dream destination (27%)

Exploring the outdoors (27%)

The research has been commissioned by youth travel provider Topdeck Travel to find out more about how the pandemic has made Gen Z reconsider what is important to them when it comes to travel. According to the findings, optimism is in the air for young Americans with 96% already having future travel plans and nearly 3 in 10 (28%) saying they would travel to a nearby destination just to get away.

 

New travel experiences and getting out and exploring were clearly on the mind of Gen Z-ers. Young people are itching to get back out there with one in three (33%) saying that they felt that they did not explore enough of the destination’s nightlife on their past trips and 33% saying they felt that they didn’t spend enough time meeting and interacting with locals on past vacations. Making friends with fellow travelers (33%) also featured high on the list of missed past opportunities – making group trips ideal for future Gen Z getaways.

 

“It has been a challenging year for young adults, but our findings show that they are resilient and are ready to bounce back with new travel experiences that focus on meeting new friends and exploring new destinations like a local” said Charles Knowlton, Global General Manager at Topdeck Travel. “Gen Z is fed up with the overly-curated Insta-worthy experiences that we’ve become overexposed to today. Instead, they seek authentic travel experiences that liberate them from the rules of normal life, once travel restrictions are lifted. At Topdeck, we inspire young travelers to move away from generic imitative ‘copy and paste’ experiences that are typically found on group trips, shifting to experiences that ‘feel real’.”

 

To browse Topdeck Travel’s group tour offering and to make a booking for 2021, visit: https://www.topdeck.travel/

 

 

About Topdeck

 

Topdeck is the number one provider of authentic, enriching travel experiences that enable curious travellers to discover their real selves and feel liberated on a range of life-changing worldwide trips. Founded in 1973 by a group of friends with a double decker bus and a passion for adventure, Topdeck has grown to offer a variety of culturally rich trips spanning Europe, Asia, Australia & New Zealand, North America, Africa and the Middle East. Topdeckers from around the world enjoy a travel experience led by fun, local trip leaders with the opportunity to travel with and meet likeminded individuals.