Gen Z Travellers Favor Healthier Choices and New Destinations in 2025
In 2025, younger travellers, particularly Gen Z (born 1997–2012), showed a marked preference for healthier options and new travel destinations. Matcha sales at Manchester, Stansted, and East Midlands airports rose by 165%, with Stansted alone selling about 70,000 cups, averaging around 200 per day. Across these airports, there were 61,500 more cups sold than in 2024. Alongside matcha, smoothies increased in popularity by 650%, and gut health shots saw a 102% rise.
Influenced by TikTok, over 10,000 Stanley drink bottles were sold at these airports, a six-fold increase since the previous year. Additionally, there was a 399% increase in face-mask sales onboard, driven by the trend in skincare.
One in four passengers under 25 used or planned to use AI tools such as ChatGPT to plan their trips. Travel patterns among Gen Z indicated fewer traditional boozy holidays; Tenerife and Palma were the only typical party spots in the top 10 destinations for under-25s, with cities like Barcelona, Amsterdam, Dublin, and New York gaining popularity.
Canadian Aviation Authority data revealed that flights to Albania, Bulgaria, and Romania doubled among this age group, influenced by social media destination trends. Airbnb's top trending Gen Z destinations included Buenos Aires, Busan, João Pessoa, and Nakano.
For 2026, National Geographic highlighted stargazing in Northumberland as the hottest trip, alongside forest bathing in Japan and a football pilgrimage across South America.
