When the tourism sector has witnessed unprecedented changes in consumer behavior, travel patterns and destination preferences, this timely book, “Millennials, Generation Z and the Future of Tourism,” provides a roadmap to leverage these trends for future success. This book comprises three parts and is the seventh volume published by Channel View Publications in its Tourism Futures book series. The first part delineates the distinctive attributes of each generation, with a particular focus on their preferences and behaviors towards tourism, offering a comprehensive overview of the roles of social commerce in relation to these generational cohorts.
The second part elucidates that mobile devices, travel applications, social networking platforms and other information and communication technologies are deemed efficacious instruments that expedite decision-making and travel arrangements. In light of the influence that advanced digital tools – such as augmented reality, virtual reality, mixed reality, robots, etc. – wield over the attitudes of the hyper-connected generations, it is imperative to integrate technology at various stages of travel service delivery. This echoes the proposition of existing literature (e.g. Yeoman et al., 2016; Ketter, 2020; Buhalis and Karatay, 2022; Rahimi and Stylos, 2022) that tourism stakeholders must effectively use technology to engage the younger generations and cultivate immersive and personalized experiences that reflect their lifestyle and interests. Furthermore, with Generation Z gravitating more toward eco-friendly travel experiences, sustainability initiatives would have a positive impact on tourism product consumption and destination selection. Specifically, these groups value life experiences over material possessions and are socially conscious, facilitating the promotion of sustainable, innovative and inclusive forms of tourism.
The third part delves into matters pertaining to gender and LGBT issues, providing a comprehensive understanding of this particular demographic. Despite the notable surge in attention of Generation Z, there remains a dearth of discourse on these topics.
In addition, the authors did an excellent job of revealing the new business potential brought by these generations. In addition to rainbow travel, unique gastronomic experiences and nature-oriented activities could also appeal to these segments, as suggested by recent literature (e.g. Lin et al., 2022; Orea-Giner and Fusté-Forné, 2023). In this section, the authors set out how to encourage tourism among younger travelers when gender issues are also heightened. The last chapter concludes the book by highlighting relevant aspects in preparing for evolution, such as flexibility in consumption and malleable preferences.
Significant strength of this book is its multidisciplinary approach, incorporating theories from tourism, sociology, psychology and economics to offer a comprehensive analysis of the impacts of Millennials and Generation Z on the tourism industry. Additionally, its practical recommendations are useful for the tourism industry to identify and implement new strategies to meet the changing expectations and demands of these emerging younger generations.
To summarize, this book serves as a source of inspiration for academia in terms of identifying potential avenues for research. The recommendations presented are of great value to policymakers and practitioners. Although this book only focuses on two specific segments, the principles and advice discussed are valuable in cultivating sustainable tourism development. After all, the future is set to undergo significant restructuring to accommodate the growing population of these generations.
The authors acknowledge that there were no financial or non-financial competing interests to disclose.
The authors acknowledge that specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors has been received.
