Gen Z’s Growing Travel Influence
Travel habits are evolving at a lightning pace, thanks in large part to the emergence of Gen Z as a powerhouse within the travel landscape. Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection’s 2025 State of Travel Insurance Report sheds light on this trend, revealing that Gen Z is not only traveling more but also spending more on travel than any other group. Beyond just their wanderlust, this generation is also reshaping the travel insurance market, as they increasingly see value in protecting their travel investments.
The Rise of Gen Z Travelers
Gen Z, those born between the mid-to-late 1990s and early 2010s, is quickly emerging as the most active group in the travel sector. According to the report, Gen Z travelers showed a marked increase in travel frequency in 2024, with spending reaching an average of $11,000 per trip—outpacing previous generations’ spending habits.
One fascinating shift noted in the report is how Gen Z is prioritizing global exploration. South Asia, for example, has grown into a favored destination among this demographic, offering a mix of culture, natural beauty, and affordability. At the same time, domestic road trips have seen a slight decline—an indication of their growing preference for international and adventure travel.
But along with their increased travel comes a more cautious and calculated mindset. The report highlights that their intent to purchase travel insurance rose by 24% between 2023 and 2024. This shows a generation that’s not just interested in adventure, but in ensuring those adventures are safeguarded from unexpected hiccups.
Social Media’s Role in Travel Planning
Gen Z is rewriting the travel-planning playbook, with social media playing a central role in their decision-making process. Over half (55%) of Gen Z respondents in the report revealed that platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube are vital tools for mapping out their trips. Travel influencers, destination videos, and hashtag trends are shaping their bucket lists, often acting as the catalyst for their travel decisions.
For instance, a single viral TikTok about hidden waterfalls in Indonesia or a cultural food tour in Vietnam can influence hundreds of thousands of Gen Z travelers to book flights almost instantly. These platforms not only introduce travelers to lesser-known destinations but also encourage more immersive and intentional travel experiences.
At the same time, their reliance on social media also underscores their need for robust travel protection, as many of their trips include high-stakes investments, such as concert tickets or sporting event packages. Travel insurance, in these cases, becomes an essential tool for navigating cancellations, delays, or other unforeseen issues.
Experiences Over Possessions
What sets Gen Z apart from older generations is their tendency to prioritize experiences over material goods. Concerts, festivals, and sporting events are rising as key travel triggers for this demographic. These events often come with significant costs, from event tickets to lodging and transportation.
For example, the popularity of global music festivals—think Coachella, Glastonbury, Burning Man or Tomorrowland—is leading many young travelers to cross continents for once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Similarly, major sporting events, such as the Olympics or FIFA tournaments, are pushing Gen Z to plan complex and pricey trips around their spectating goals.
Such experience-focused travel means this generation is particularly sensitive to anything that could derail their plans. As these trips can be financially steep, the association with travel insurance is growing stronger—protecting concert tickets, flights, and accommodations has become as natural as purchasing the experiences themselves.
The Future of Travel and Travel Insurance
The insights from the report don’t just spotlight Gen Z’s current behaviors—they also hold important clues for what the future of travel and travel insurance might look like. The focus on social media engagement suggests that travel providers and insurance firms alike may need to scale up their digital and influencer marketing efforts to reach this audience effectively.
Further, as Gen Z continues to dominate the travel landscape, personalization will likely take center stage. Flexible policies that cater to unique experiences like adventure tourism, last-minute trips, or niche events could become standard. Bundling travel insurance with booking platforms, tickets for global events, or even through partnerships with social media influencers might open new routes to meet consumer demand seamlessly.
At its core, though, this trend demonstrates the shifting priorities of younger generations. While their parents may have focused on accumulating material assets, Gen Z is clearly more interested in enriching their lives with accessible and meaningful adventures. For the travel insurance market, this means an evolving consumer base that seeks reliability and innovation in equal measures.
Shaping Today’s Travel Landscape
The rise of Gen Z as a dominant travel segment is a testament to how quickly the industry can adapt to changing consumer preferences. The group’s willingness to spend on unique experiences, paired with their increasing awareness of risk management, sets a new tone for the future of global travel.
Moving forward, the industry as a whole has an opportunity to resonate with this demographic by focusing on their needs and values. From offering dynamic insurance solutions to crafting targeted travel campaigns, there’s much to be learned from how Gen Z plans their journeys. And for the travelers themselves, the realization that their spontaneity can coexist with security may be a game-changer in how they view the world—and their place in it.