Irrespective of their youth and relatively low income, more than half of American Gen Z adults are consistent travelers, as many have found the time and means to take three or more recreational trips in the past year, according to a report collected by the data research company Morning Consult. 

“That’s because traveling is more mainstream now and Gen Zs are broadly exposed to travel inspiration through social media,” Lindsey Roeschke, a travel and hospitality consultant at Morning Consult, said.

Gen Z ⁠— the generation born between 1997 and 2012 ⁠— is finally making their own money, and many have opted to use a good portion of it on travel. As a consequence of their stymied opportunities for almost three years due to the rise of COVID-19 and the global pandemic, the youngest generation of adults has become avid about travel and aren’t hesitant about making sure they do it often.

For travel brands to flourish, they must be keenly aware of this trend and adapt to the wanderlust generation’s newfound tendencies and expectations.

Over 52% of Gen Zers are considered frequent travelers, meaning they’ve taken at least three leisure trips in the past year, and that percentage is substantially more significant than it is for higher-earning Gen Xers and baby boomers. However, in regard to millennials, deemed the industry’s current focus, Gen Zers are on par with their slightly older counterparts.

According to Roeschke, Gen Zers will more than likely surpass traveling millennials as they grow in age and earning power.

Despite a healthy zeal for travel, Gen Zers have expressed less trust in the travel industry than other generations. This distrust is symbolic of a bigger truth regarding Gen Z: They tend to possess less trust in all industries and institutions. Given this reality, travel brands shouldn’t feel discouraged, but they should begin brainstorming ways to bridge this gap with members of Gen Z now rather than later. 

As a historically expensive endeavor not readily afforded to everyone, leisure travel is an activity that has been typically more reserved for higher-income earners.

For instance, millennials in households with annual incomes of at least $100,000 are 5 percentage points more likely to be frequent travelers than the general population; that gap is even more significant for Gen Xers and baby boomers, at 7 points.

For Gen Zers, that difference is only 1 point ⁠— 61% of Gen Zers who took three or more leisure trips in the past year come from households earning less than $50,000 annually.

This information tells us the youngest generation of adults isn’t waiting to become “financially stable” to explore the world. Instead, they’re making reasonable budgets and going for it now while they still have youthful energy and vitality.