2026
8
China Gen Z’s Travel Preferences: 2026
2026-09-07T09:20:03+00:00
REP2637CA53_B865_44CC_B7CA_53B86544CC0F
3695
196085
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Report
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Gen Z may not currently be the biggest spenders in travel and tourism, but they play an outsized role in shaping what destinations offer, talk about and develop next. For…
China
Travel
simple

China Gen Z’s Travel Preferences: 2026

Gen Z may not currently be the biggest spenders in travel and tourism, but they play an outsized role in shaping what destinations offer, talk about and develop next.

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  1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

    • Key issues in this Report
    • Definitions
    • What you need to know
    • Key insights and actions for brands
    • Consumer insight overview
  2. THE MARKET

    • Market factors
    • Travel remains a priority experience despite tighter consumer budgets
    • Graph 1: consumption trends – categories with plans to increase spending in the next three months, 2025-26
    • Budgets are still there, but spending limits are tighter; Gen Z is increasingly looking to get more fun for less
    • Graph 2: travel budget for the next 12 months, 2025-26
    • Post-2000s students show polarised budgets, Post-2000s professionals are most eager, while Post-1995s drive premium spending
    • Graph 3: travel budget for the next 12 months, by generation and employment status, 2026
    • Frequent local getaways with growing appetite for bigger trips: Gen Z is looking beyond home turf to regional and national travel
    • Graph 4: participation in travel in the last 12 months, 2023 vs 2026
    • Looking ahead: from local escapes to long-distance adventures, Gen Z is seeking both relaxation and discovery
    • Graph 5: plans to travel for leisure in the next 12 months, 2026
    • As travel becomes a space for emotional regulation and self-expression, interest-led experiences emerge as Gen Z’s primary motivation
    • Gen Z may not be the highest spenders, but their passions are reshaping how destinations are explored
    • A new era for cultural tourism: emotional storytelling, active participation and engaging characters take centre stage
    • Takeaway: Gen Z matters not just for what it spends, but for how it is redefining demand and shaping future growth
  3. CONSUMER INSIGHTS

    • How a single trip can fulfil four Gen Z travel needs
    • Graph 6: reasons for travel, 2026
    • Four travel needs driving Gen Z’s choices
    • 1. Experiencing places authentically
    • Beyond rest and relaxation: authentic local experiences are becoming central to Gen Z travel demand
    • Graph 7: expectations of travel products, 2026
    • In a market of lookalike destinations, authenticity and human warmth are redefining value
    • Graph 8: attitudes towards brands – Gen Z consumers, 2026
    • Travellers looking to break from routine and expand their horizons are turning away from curated experiences
    • Graph 9: expectations of travel products, by selected reasons for travel, 2026
    • Authenticity lives beyond the sights, in a destination’s history and vibrant everyday life
    • Graph 10: travel activity preferences, 2026
    • Immersion matters more than interaction for Gen Z travellers
    • Observation builds understanding through difference, participation fosters connection through role immersion
    • Observation-led experiences: opening a brief window into the authentic life of a place
    • Participation-led experiences: for Gen Z, taking part means shaping the journey and creating something of their own
    • Observation and participation are just the beginning: what Gen Z really wants is a moment of insight
    • For Gen Z, authenticity means finding connection, embracing imperfection and making the experience their own
    • 2. Mind and body reset
    • For Gen Z, travel is a way to recharge emotionally and step away from the pressures of everyday life
    • Beyond rest and relaxation, Gen Z craves emotionally powerful travel experiences
    • Graph 11: attitudes towards travel – relaxation and healing vs emotional intensity, 2026
    • Women and nuclear families seek restoration, while men and other household types seek stimulation
    • Emotional needs shape the journey: rechargers want less going on; stimulation seekers want more
    • Graph 12: travel activities of interest, by selected attitudes (relaxing and healing vs emotional intensity)
    • Recharger experiences: low-effort engagement, natural restoration
    • Stimulation seeker experiences: where atmosphere, sensory immersion and shared energy create emotional highs
    • Emotionally powerful travel experiences can offer more than a reset; they can reshape perspectives or even influence major life decisions
    • Graph 13: attitudes towards travel – rechargers vs stimulus seekers, by selected attitudes, 2026
    • Travel’s first transformative moment is realising “I’ve got this”
    • Beyond the journey itself, travel broadens Gen Z’s view of what life can look like, reminding them that they have other options
    • Brand opportunity: beyond healing, awakening a sense of vitality is emerging as a new direction
    • 3. Building personal memories
    • For Gen Z, the journey does not end with the return home – lasting memories are part of the experience
    • While memories matter to everyone, Gen Z has deeply individual ways of preserving them
    • Graph 14: personalised travel habits, 2026
    • Gen Z uses travel memories to create personal meaning
    • Graph 15: personalised travel habits, by attitudes towards selected travel experiences (meaningful life impact vs a break from routine), 2026
    • Images last, but feelings fade: Gen Z wants to hold on to how travel felt, but current ways of preserving memories fall short
    • Brand opportunity: capturing the feelings that are felt beyond the frame
    • 4. Building connections
    • Travel starts with close relationships and extends towards looser social connections
    • Graph 16: travel companions, 2026
    • Choosing a travel companion is less about closeness and more about compatibility
    • Graph 17: attitudes towards social relationships – Gen Z consumers, 2026
    • Travel helps reconnection in close relationships by making space for easy companionship
    • Friends and classmates may not be the ones I’m closest to, but they understand best who I am today
    • The best travel companions share common interests and respect each other’s independence
    • Travel is shaped by more than who you go with; unexpected connections can make the experience richer
  4. AUDIENCE SEGMENT INSIGHTS

    • Gen Z travel profiles
    • Post-2000s students
    • Broadening horizons is a shared goal among Post-2000s travellers, with students more focused on capturing memories and discovering new interests
    • Graph 18: reasons for travel, by generation and employment, 2026
    • For Post-2000s travellers, seeing more of the world comes with a higher price tag
    • More time to travel, but budgets still limit how far they can go
    • For Post-2000s students, a discounted ticket and a memorable experience are often all it takes to inspire a trip
    • Post-2000s early-career professionals
    • As Post-2000s move into working life, travel takes on greater meaning
    • Graph 19: attitudes towards travel – life-changing impact vs way to unwind, by generation and employment status, 2026
    • Travel memories remind Post-2000s that there’s more to life than work
    • Graph 20: attitudes towards travel memories – self-reflection vs sharing with others, by generation and employment status, 2026
    • Travel is about more than companionship; it is also proof that other ways of life are possible
    • Extended trips expand life’s possibilities while everyday life sustains engagement: the opportunity lies in both
    • Post-1995s without children
    • Travel is less about changing lives and more about recharging within the reality of everyday life
    • Travel, then, serves as a way to regulate mood and reignite enthusiasm
    • Graph 21: attitudes towards travel – relaxation and healing vs emotional intensity, by generation and employment status, 2026
    • For Post-1995s without children, travel is both a source of renewal and a way to keep growing
    • For Post-1995s, engage emotions with authentic experiences, then create personal growth opportunities through participation
    • Post-1995s with children
    • As Post-1995s become parents, documenting their travels gains new purpose: creating a repository of family memories
    • Keeping the family happy while taking a little time out for yourself
    • Brand opportunity: transform travel with children into a low-friction experience, with less stress, time to recharge and memories worth keeping
  5. WHAT WE THINK

    • For younger people, travel will serve as a low-cost trial run for a different way of life
  6. APPENDIX – METHODOLOGY AND ABBREVIATIONS

    • Methodology
    • Qualitative research participants
    • Travel budgets across Gen Z cohorts
    • Graph 22: travel budget for the next 12 months, by generation, 2026
    • Solo travel participation and future intent
    • Graph 23: solo travel participation and future intent, 2026
    • Graph 24: solo travel participation and future intent, % of consumers, 2026
    • Reasons for solo travel
    • Graph 25: reasons for solo travel, 2026
    • Reasons for reducing or stopping solo travel
    • Graph 26: reasons for reducing or stopping solo travel, 2026
    • What solo travellers expect from travel products
    • Graph 27: expectations of travel products during solo travel, 2026
    • Solo travel experiences or product offerings of future interest
    • Graph 28: solo travel product formats of interest, 2026
    • Abbreviations
Download Report Summary

Gen Z may not currently be the biggest spenders in travel and tourism, but they play an outsized role in shaping what destinations offer, talk about and develop next. For them, travel is a way into local life, a chance to reset, a way to capture personal stories and a space for building genuine connection. Destinations both near and far will win Gen Z’s attention by translating these needs into focused narratives, product ideas and service touchpoints.

Tina Cheng, Research Analyst

Market Definitions

For the purposes of this Report, travel refers to journeys primarily undertaken for reasons such as relaxation, new experiences, pursuing personal interests, social connection or emotional regulation, among others. It excludes travel undertaken primarily for specific purposes such as education, business or official duties.

Gen Z broadly refers to people born after 1995. In this Report, Post-1995s refers specifically to those born between 1995 and 1999, while Post-2000s refers to those born between 2000 and 2009. Consumer data in this Report focuses on adults aged 18-30. The Post-2000s sample primarily covers those aged 18-26, while the Post-1995s sample primarily covers those aged 27-30.

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