Gen Z maps the future of travel, hotels, airlines and rides | News
Cafeteria, the largest insights platform for Gen Z and Alpha, reveals what Gen Next actually wants from travel, hotels and airlines in 2026. For Cafeteria’s first Next Gen Spenders: Travel Edition, over 900 Gen Z users spent 197 hours talking about what travel will look like in 2026.
Mark Silverstein, co-founder and Chief Business Officer, says: “For Gen Z, making memories is the most important travel luxury. To spend more on experiences – the meal, the concert, the moment – they will find the cheapest flight or share a hotel room.”
He continues: “They also see time as an important part of the itinerary. They want to get to their destination early and will spend money on an Uber to get to their hotel faster. They choose hotels with Google Maps to ensure they are close to the experiences and restaurants they like to spend on.”
With more than 1 million insights produced across thousands of Gen Z and Alpha users, Cafeteria empowers top brands and agencies to get answers in real-time.
“Our customers are listening directly to these young consumers. The brands that listen begin to truly understand their customer, creating cultural relevance – and that’s what drives brand desire and real business performance. That’s exactly what nearly 200 hours of Gen Next responses to Cafeteria delivers,” says Silverstein.
Check out highlights from Cafetaria’s report below and watch the full report with voice notes and audio trailer here. https://www.teamcafeteria.com/news/next-gen-travel
The obligatory 1920s trip: Japan
Twenty-somethings can’t get enough of Japan’s alien culture. They mention landscape, culture, food, affordability and niche interests like JDM cars.
“Japan! Tokyo to be exact, I love how futuristic and creative Japan is. And the food looks AMAZING. I love the culture and landscape based on the videos I see online and it makes me want to build an experience of my own.” [c] female / 19 / Fort Myers, FL
Generation Z bypasses third-party booking sites
TikTok is seen as a key source for inspiration and booking advice, entering the booking funnel as a discovery layer for deals. One in four Gen Zers are skipping the middleman, bypassing online travel agencies (OTAs) and third-party platforms and choosing to book directly through airline and hotel websites and apps. Those who use OTAs prefer Expedia.
Still included in the family subscription
Booking Gen Z travel is a slow handoff from parents to independence.
14-17: The Backseat Travelers – 65% booked by parents: 18% self-booked on their first experience with airline and hotel loyalty programs
18-21: The Co-Pilots – 42% self-booked: 40% parent-booked (split). These are active bookers without their own credit card.
22+: The drivers – 48% booked themselves: 29% booked by parents. Partners are starting to come into the picture.
Bus flights, Michelin nights
Flight is a means. The food and experiences are the point. Self-booking Gen Z strategically saves on flights to spend on experiences and food.
Flights = number 1 savings goal
Hotels = division between luxury and budget
Food + Experiences = top spending categories
“I usually splurge on dining experiences and shopping while I’m there. I don’t really care how I get there or where I stay because the real memories are made in the places you go once you get there.” [c] female / 20 / Eureka, MO
Uber on arrival
Luggage + fatigue = Uber wins on arrival. But after that it’s the subway.
26% of 18+ self-bookers want to save by traveling by public transport during their trip. However, 73% of those savers take Uber/Lyft from the airport. The “savings” happen during the trip, not upon arrival (where baggage + fatigue make Uber the default).
Cruises make Generation Z nervous
Gen Z is divided on cruises – the interest is there, but many are stuck between the appeal of the experience and the fear of Titanic-level catastrophe.
‘Fun’ is the most commonly mentioned word to describe cruises (30%), but rarely stands alone; it is almost always accompanied by the fear or concern about seasickness. Women feel this tension most acutely: they are responsible for 72% of fear-related reactions, but they also lead the positive sentiment.
“Cruises sound scary. I don’t know if I’d ever want to go on one. But from what I’ve seen, there are three words that probably come to mind: fun, adventurous, adventurous or adventurous, and I don’t know, party.” [c] female / 20 / Chicago, IL
Favorite airlines
Generation Z prefers Delta, JetBlue and United.
Premium at fair prices → Delta + JetBlue
Cookie nostalgia → Delta
Best Screens/WiFi → JetBlue
Most legroom → JetBlue + United
Reliable family standard = United
Open seating = Southwest
Loyalty Deal Breakers:
Operational failures (America delays/cancellations)
Taking away perks (Southwest ends free checked bag policy in May 2025)
“delta, I believe it is the best value for money and you get a very premium experience on even the most basic ticket”[c] non-binary / 18 / New York, NY
Google Maps is the new hotel finder
Gen Z explores hotels like real estate. They use Google Maps to scan hotels based on location and reviews before conducting further research.
What they pay attention to when booking:
Location
Cleanliness
View and windows
“I usually go on Google Maps and find things or sites that might interest me, like a cool park, monument or area for sightseeing” [c] male / 21 / Bronx, NY
Flight benefits + priorities
Benefits they care about: Bags. Pain they feel: leg room.
Status benefits such as priority boarding and seat upgrades are secondary to direct benefits such as free checked bags. But when asked what airlines need to improve, legroom dominates.
Kindness makes the group chat
Efficiency is expected. But warmth is what Gen Z remembers most about travel staff and experiences.
When asked about their last great customer service experience, friendly staff was mentioned twice as often as any other factor. The shareable stories? Employees who solve problems, go the extra mile and surprise with small gestures (free treats, birthday extras).
