How Gen Alpha and Gen Z are shaping the travel industry

This ITB Berlin 2026 panel session, moderated by David Chapman (Director General, WISE Travel Confederation), explored how Gen Z and Gen Alpha are reshaping the travel industry. The session featured three panelists: Alex Hill (Drifter, a design-led hostel brand across Australia and New Zealand, 3 years old, brand launched 6 months prior), Sarah Clifford (Head of Travel, Uni Days — the world's largest student app with 10 million UK and 20 million global student members), and Dominic Barrow (National Business Development Manager, Kiki, a global tour operator for 18–35 year olds with 200+ trips worldwide).

Chapman opened with WISE's market framing: youth travelers aged 15–30 represent approximately 23% of international arrivals globally. In 2025, that equated to roughly 350 million youth trips worth $424 billion USD in tourism receipts. Youth travelers are notable for blending education and leisure, taking longer stays, and spending more per trip than the average holidaymaker.

The panel used an 'agree or disagree' format on several provocative statements. On whether young people will fly less in the future: Dom agreed (citing growth of sustainability awareness and popularity of Kiki's coach and train trips, including a Rome-to-Barcelona rail offering), Sarah disagreed (noting Gen Z say one thing but do another — they are still flying in large numbers), and Alex disagreed based on record incoming numbers to Australia and New Zealand, all arriving by plane. On whether human travel agents will be trusted more than AI by 2030: the panel broadly agreed on a hybrid model — AI handles admin tasks (when, how much) while humans are essential for high-value bookings ($3,000–$10,000 east coast Australia trips) and crisis moments (lost passports). On whether 'social' will cease to define hostels: the panel firmly disagreed, with Sarah quipping 'without social it's a hotel with bunk beds,' and Alex noting young people are actively craving social connection and human interaction — a 'thirst' he sees as a key business driver for Drifter.

On tourism balance and who leads it — the panel agreed youth travelers are driving it, not the industry. Viral TikTok content and search behavior (e.g., Albania instead of Greece) are dictating where people go, with brands jumping on trends reactively. Alex noted Australia is seeing a significant geographic shift — travelers increasingly heading west, to Tasmania, and the Northern Territory rather than the well-worn east coast path.

On social media strategy, Sarah emphasized that over 50% of Uni Days members begin their travel research on TikTok and Instagram, and that authentic UGC content dramatically outperforms polished brand campaigns. She cited Holiday Pirates as a best-practice example: they show the experience and the student, not the hotel, and never use AI for storytelling even though they use it for data. Drifter learned this lesson the hard way — their initially 'pretty' social content received zero engagement until they pivoted to real, authentic people and experiences.

On emerging source markets, Alex noted youth travelers in Australia and New Zealand represent 23% of arrivals but account for 47% of international spend — a largely unknown but commercially critical statistic. Uni Days is seeing a surge in APAC, particularly India and Southeast Asia, where students travel more frequently than European counterparts. Kiki's trips average 9–10 nationalities across 20 travelers.

On solo female travel: 60% of Drifter's guests are female (intentional, with strong commercial outcomes); 75% of Kiki's European travelers are female; 75% of all Kiki travelers travel solo. Sarah noted female travelers pay more for safety — better-located hotels, Ubers at 4am — and urged brands to clearly communicate safety and accessibility policies as AI search increasingly surfaces this information.

On wellness vs. party culture: Kiki's latest Voice of a Generation survey found 83% of travelers would book a sober trip. Kiki launched a 'Run Club' series in 2025 — 5–10km morning runs followed by sightseeing — citing run clubs as a new mainstream social venue for meeting partners. Alex noted that six years ago Drifter was exclusively party-focused; today yoga is offered alongside bar programming, though yoga carries minimal direct revenue.

On travel dupes: Kiki's Voice of a Generation survey found 68% of travelers would consider an alternative destination to combat over-tourism. Kiki launched an Albania trip last year that performed strongly. Uni Days research shows 'shorter long-haul' is surging — Turkey and Morocco over Greek islands.

On personalization: the panel noted travel lags behind other consumer categories (Netflix, Uber Eats) in customization. Kiki has introduced 'free time add-ons' (FTAs) to let travelers shape their experience. Sarah proposed that hostels replace minibars with content creation kits (tripod, ring light) to instantly turn Gen Z guests into brand ambassadors.