ABSTRACT
Generation Z has increasingly become one of the fastest-growing travel segments and a crucial market to target. The growth and behaviour of this economically significant market will have enormous implications for the future development of the tourism industry and destinations and its long-term sustainability. This introductory chapter provides a critical examination of Gen Z consumer and travel behaviour, and its implications for the tourism, hospitality, and events industries. Details are provided on the different ways in which Gen Z is defined; generational differences with respect to behaviour, consumption, use of communication media, attitudes towards technology, and aspirations; and travel trends across different generations. An overview is also provided of some of the main themes and issues in research on Gen Z and tourism.
