The top-recommended travel destinations for Generation Z
With a new year comes a new generation of travelers. Gen Z, born between the late ’90s and early ‘00s, is coming of age, with travel at the front of their minds. 65% of Generation Z ranked travel and seeing the world as the most important way to spend their money, and 90% admit that their international travel choices are influenced by social media*.
With over half of Gen Z planning international holidays this year**, this report set out to reveal the best global destinations for young people. This report analyzes Euromonitor’s top city destinations on factors such as attractions, restaurants, safety ratings, and social media influence. From Miami to Los Angeles, London to Prague, the best cities for Generation Z travelers have been revealed.
Top US destinations for Gen Z travel
Miami – 7.06/10
Spectacular sunsets, warm waters, and non-stop nightlife. What’s not to love? Miami is home to a wide range of restaurants and attractions. It also has one of the lowest hostel costs out of the cities studied, with an attractive $59 per night.
Well known for its year-round warm weather, this coastal metropolis is famous for its pristine beaches and popular nightlife, which are sure to be on the Gen Z holiday hit list. Ocean Drive is one of the most popular areas in Miami, a promenade packed to the brim with white sand beaches, exotic cocktails, and spectacular art deco buildings.
San Francisco – 6.10/10
San Francisco is not only the safest destination on this list but like Miami it also has an excellent range of restaurants and attractions to visit and enjoy. Not the cheapest nor the most expensive US city, San Francisco offers a good middle ground with lots on offer for travelers.
The Golden Gate Bridge will be a bucket list feature on many American travelers’ lists and San Francisco is home to this incredible feat of architecture. San Francisco is also known for its great shopping districts and friendly people. With the highest safety rating on this list, San Francisco is perfect for first-time travelers.
Honolulu – 6.01/10
Honolulu has the highest number of attractions per 100,000 people out of all cities on this list totaling 433, in addition to the lowest average hostel cost of these 5 US cities at $58, making Honolulu a perfect destination for fun on a budget. Honolulu likewise ranks in first place for the total number of annual Google searches, with over 61,000 searches for the destination in the last year.
Famed for its iconic crescent beach backed by palms and high-rise hotels, Honolulu is an exceptional beachfront getaway. From Waikiki Beach, you can make out the volcanic Diamond Head crater looming in the distance.
Los Angeles – 5.1/10
Los Angeles has the largest choice when it comes to hostels with a total of 29 to choose from. With strong numbers of restaurants, attractions, and tours, LA is a prime location for Gen Z travelers.
Los Angeles, perhaps the most famous showbiz city in the world, is home to everything Hollywood movie fanatics will love: the Hollywood Boulevard, Paramount Pictures studios, and of course, the iconic Hollywood sign.
New York City – 4.98/10
New York City is the social media enthusiasts’ favorite, with the second highest volume of both Instagram hashtags and TikTok views. NYC has received an astounding 141 million hashtags and racked up over 67 billion views on TikTok.
New York City, perhaps one of the most famous cities in the world, is home to some of America’s most iconic monuments and attractions, including Times Square, the Empire State Building, and the Statue of Liberty.
Social media is one of the biggest indicators of what’s cool right now and we’ve put together a study of what US capital cities are the most and least popular. If you’re looking for more travel inspiration at home, why not take a look at the most trending capital cities of the US.
Top global destinations for Gen Z travel
London, United Kingdom – 7.79/10
Over in the UK, London ranks as the best global city for Gen Z travel, with a score of 7.79/10. London is the most picturesque city on this list, seeing the highest number of Instagram hashtags with a whopping 158 million and over 42 billion views on TikTok. London has likewise seen over 200,000 Google searches in the last year.
London is known for its rich history and stunning architecture. This cosmopolitan city is perfect for visiting world-class museums and galleries, wandering through gigantic lush parks, and enjoying high-quality restaurants.
Barcelona, Spain – 7.26/10
Barcelona earns a 7.26/10 rating for Gen Z travelers, placing second on this list of the best cities to visit. Barcelona has a decent safety rating of 49.02 paired with a large number of restaurants, attractions, and tours per 100,000 people.
Barcelona is home to the exceptional Football team Barcelona FC, one of the very best in the world, alongside the brilliant architecture of Antoni Gaudi such as the Basílica de la Sagrada Família, the largest unfinished Roman Catholic church.
Dubai, United Arab Emirates – 7.10/10
Dubai ranks as the third-best global city for Gen Z travelers. A favorite on social media, Dubai has seen the largest TikTok views by far, with an impressive 92 billion. Dubai has also raked in over 123 million hashtags on Instagram.
Dubai is most known for its ultramodern architecture, home to the Burj Khalifa, the largest building in the world standing at 830m. Dubai also shows off Atlantis The Palm, a luxury hotel and resort, which rests on artificial islands just offshore of the city.
Paris, France – 7.07/10
The capital city of Paris ranks fourth on this list. Paris sees a score of 7.07/10. One of the city’s perks is that it offers visitors a huge number of choices when it comes to restaurants, which is no surprise as the city is probably best known for its fantastic cuisine.
Paris is also considered the worldwide center for art and fashion. Expect to visit many art galleries during your trip here, on top of visiting the world-renowned landmarks of the Eiffel Tower and the Gothic Notre-Dame cathedral.
Amsterdam, Netherlands – 7.00/10
Rounding off our top 5 best global cities for Gen Z travel is Amsterdam. Amsterdam offers the cheapest average hostel prices among our top 5 global cities at $143, while still offering the highest number of attractions per 100,000 people.
The capital city of the Netherlands, Amsterdam is largely known for its artistic heritage. You can admire the works of Van Gogh at the dedicated Van Gogh Museum, Rembrandt and Vermeer at the Rijksmuseum, and contemporary and modern art at the Stedelijk.
Methodology
Safety ratings were taken from Numbeo. Instagram hashtags were taken from Instagram and TikTok views were taken from TikTok. The number of and average price of hostels were taken from Kayak and Booking.com. Attractions, restaurants, and tours were recorded from Tripadvisor, with data divided by the population of each city from World Population Review to give data per 100,000 people. Annual Google search data was retrieved using Google Keyword Planner. The keywords used were “City + Travel”.
* Insights taken from condorferries.
** Insights taken from hotelmize.
All data was collected on or before the 21st of September 2022.
