Gen Z travellers prefer to limit alcohol when overseas and have an increased reliance on TikTok when planning a trip, according to a report by StudentUniverse, the world’s largest online travel retailer for young people.

The State of Student & Youth Travel Report for 2024 delved into the latest travel sentiments amongst those aged 18-25 and found that young travellers opted for sober travel and increasingly relied on TikTok’s algorithm to guide their holidays.

StudentUniverse, a subsidiary of Flight Centre Travel Group, is an online, one-stop travel agency that offers exclusive discounts on flights, hotels and other travel essentials to students and young adults.

StudentUniverse brand manager Will Jones said it was the second year it has prepared the report.

“It’s interesting to see how Gen Z continues to lean into the trends that show them to be quite unlike young generations past in terms of travel behaviours,” he said.

“Our report has revealed Japan to be at the forefront of the most desired destinations to visit among young Australians, and this demand is reflected in our own booking data: bookings between Australia and Japan from January to March are up 55 per cent on the same period last year.

Surge in Australians visiting Japan

“In terms of travel inspiration, TikTok has emerged as the undisputed heavyweight of Gen Z social platforms, and we have also found AI is playing an increasingly significant role when it comes to building travel itineraries,” he said.

Young travellers represent a quarter of international travel arrivals and provide great value to the travel industry, said Jones.

“It is our goal with these reports to help provide valuable insights on the trends and sentiments that drive Gen Z travellers, especially in our Australian market.”

Key findings:

Looking for a “Sober Vacation”

62% find that alcohol gets them into unsafe situations.
57% would rather spend money on other things than alcohol.
56% find that alcohol makes them feel unwell/spoils the next day.

Turning to TikTok for Travel Inspiration

61% choose TikTok as their preferred platform of choice when searching for travel inspiration.
41% have booked a holiday as a direct result of what they saw on TikTok.
69% are very likely/likely to use TikTok as a trip-planning tool.

Top Travel Destinations

62% choose Japan as a top country they want to visit.
57% choose Italy as a top country they want to visit.
50% choose New Zealand as a top country they want to visit.