Skyscanner Finds That Gen Z is Carving a Bold New Era of Travel

From AI-driven planning to beauty-focused getaways, this generation is redefining the travel experience

• Gen Z is getting the trip out of the group chat, with 52% planning more trips abroad in 2026
• As BeautyTok grows, 40% of Gen Z seek beauty treatments or skincare stores while traveling
• Dating habits are shifting, with 74% of Gen Z turning to travel to meet new people
• Culinary tourism is evolving, with 32% of Gen Z planning to visit supermarkets abroad
• Gen Z leads all generations in AI adoption, with 72% confident using AI to plan and book their 2026 trips

NEW YORK, Dec. 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Skyscanner, a leading global travel booking site, has released its 2026 Travel Trends report, highlighting the cultural forces and emerging behaviors that will define how Gen Z travels in 2026. Drawing from millions of searches and global consumer insights, the report shows how Gen Z's digital fluency, identity-driven choices, and experience-first mindset are reshaping the future of travel.

"Gen Z is rewriting the travel playbook," said Lourdes Losada, Director of Americas, Skyscanner. "For them, travel is an extension of who they are. It is expressive, intentional, and deeply influenced by the cultural trends they live and breathe every day. Whether they are using AI to build the perfect itinerary, chasing global beauty rituals or meeting new people on the road, Gen Z is setting the tone for what travel will look like in 2026 and beyond."

Gen Z's Travel Mindset in 2026
Gen Z approaches travel with personalization at the forefront. Instead of traditional milestones or bucket-list tourist attractions, they seek experiences aligned with their passions, such as beauty, art, outdoor adventure, local food culture and identity-driven self-care. Viral social media trends such as BookTok, GRWMs and "girl dinner" continue to inspire trip planning, sparking curiosity for new destinations and shareable moments on TikTok or Instagram.

Their tech-first approach also sets them apart. Gen Z is the generation most likely to use AI for destination inspiration, itinerary building and booking, with nearly three quarters expressing confidence using AI tools to guide their 2026 travel decisions.

Inside Gen Z Travel: Seven Trends Shaping 2026

• Glowmads: Beauty is becoming a major travel motivator for Gen Z. This generation is significantly more likely than Baby Boomers (6%) to prioritize beauty-focused activities abroad. Forty percent plan to seek out beauty treatments or skincare stores while traveling next year, and TikTok is driving inspiration, with beauty content acting as a catalyst for their travel plans.
• Catch Flights and Feelings: Gen Z is embracing travel as a path to connection with 74% saying they are turning to new cities and new destinations to meet people beyond their local dating pools. One third says they feel more open to meeting others while traveling and feel freer to be themselves in new environments.
• Shelf Discovery: Supermarket tourism is surging among all travelers – but especially Gen Z travelers, with nearly 33% planning to visit supermarkets abroad on their next trip. They want to discover foods they cannot find at home and sample unique flavors from international brands. On TikTok, there has been a surge in popularity around 7-Eleven stops in Japan to try their egg salad sandwiches, which reflects Gen Z's growing curiosity for everyday cultural experiences in other countries.
• Family Miles: Multigenerational travel is trending upward thanks to Gen Z since many are traveling with parents (52%), grandparents (28%) or multiple generations together (37%). While affordability plays a role, deeper connections and memory-making are driving this shift.
• Altitude Shift: Mountains are becoming year-round escapes with more than half of Gen Z (58%) saying they are turning to mountain destinations for peace, quiet and restorative time in nature. Regions like the Dolomites, Annapurna and the Canadian Rockies are attracting travelers seeking serenity beyond the ski season.
• Beach 2.0: Trending destinations like Madeira, Zadar, Olbia, and Mykonos offer the mix of natural beauty and adventure that Gen Z is seeking, with more than half (51%) of travelers interested in beach vacations and more than a third planning water activities such as wild swimming, snorkeling, paddleboarding, or surfing.
• Tech-Forward Travelers: With 72% of Gen Z expressing confidence using AI for travel planning, this generation is redefining how trips are researched and booked. They use smart tools, social media and AI-powered features to find the best deals, discover new destinations, and craft highly personalized itineraries.

To read more about the Travel Trends 2026, please visit: https://www.skyscanner.com/travel-trends

The report blends proprietary data based on millions of searches:

• These are the US results from a global survey of 22,000 travelers, conducted by OnePoll in June–July 2025 
• Data compares global hotel redirects on Skyscanner using the 'room with a mountain view' filter between June 1, 2024 – May 31, 2025, and the same period the previous year (June 1, 2023 –May 31, 2024) 
• Data compares global hotel redirects on Skyscanner using the 'library' filter between June 1, 2024 – May 31, 2025, and the same period the previous year (1 June 2023 – May 31, 2024) 
• Data compares global hotel redirects on Skyscanner using the solo filter between June 1, 2024 – May 31, 2025, and the same period the previous year (June 1, 2023 – May 31, 2024) 

About Skyscanner 
Skyscanner is a global leader in travel that helps travelers plan and book their trip with ease and confidence. Every month, Skyscanner connects millions of travelers, in 52 countries and 37 languages, to more than 1200 trusted travel partners so they can find flight, hotel or car rental options.  

Founded in 2003, Skyscanner has offices worldwide, in Europe, Asia-Pacific and North America where travelers-first innovations are developed and powered by data and insights. Making use of the latest technology, Skyscanner simplifies the complexity of travel and provides honest and transparent solutions, searching around 100 billion prices every day so travelers can be sure they've seen the best possible options, all in one place. 

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SOURCE Skyscanner