Gen Z, Tourism, and Sustainable Consumption: The Most Sustainable Generation Ever?

Gen Z, Tourism, and Sustainable Consumption is the first book to provide a comprehensive account of Generation Z in relation to sustainable consumption practices and travel cultures.

Gen Z is regarded as the world’s largest consumer market. 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. Characterised as being the first generation to grow up with the Internet and sometimes even referred to as the i-Generation, Gen Z is broadly regarded as having an avid interest in travel but seeks to do so in a way that is socially and environmentally conscious, mobile connected, and grounded in authentic local experiences. Logically structured and featuring contributions from a plethora of experts on the topic, this volume provides a critical examination of Gen Z consumer and travel behaviour in a comparative international context and its implications for the tourism, hospitality, and events industries.

Embellished with illustrative figures and tables throughout, this book will be of pivotal interest not only to policy makers, destination management and marketing organisations (DMOs), and students of tourism, hospitality, sustainable consumption, and consumer culture, but also to those who seek to cater to this key market.

Siamak Seyfi is an Assistant Professor at the Geography Research Unit of the University of Oulu, Finland. He’s also an Adjunct Professor at the Department of Tourism Marketing of the University of Eastern Finland, and a Visiting Associate Professor at School of Hospitality, Tourism and Events, Taylor’s University, Malaysia. Using a multi-/interdisciplinary approach and informed by diverse disciplinary perspectives, his research focus on tourism mobilities, tourist behaviour, resilience, sustainability and politics of tourism and peace through tourism. Guided by generational and lifestyle theories, his recent research focus on political and ethical consumerism with a special focus on Gen Z cohort.

C. Michael Hall is Ahurei Professor in the Department of Management, Marketing and Tourism, University of Canterbury, New Zealand; Visiting Professor and Docent in Geography, University of Oulu, Finland; Visiting Professor, School of Business and Economics, Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden; Guest Professor, Department of Service Management and Service Studies, Lund University, Helsingborg, Sweden; Visiting Professor, CRiC, Taylors University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; and Eminent Scholar, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, South Korea. Co-editor of Current Issues in Tourism and Field Editor of Frontiers in Sustainable Tourism he publishes widely on tourism, sustainability, global environmental change, food, and regional development.

Marianna Strzelecka is Associate Professor at School of Business and Economics of Linnaeus University in Sweden. She conducts research at the intersection of tourism, rural sociology, and environmental social sciences. Her most recent projects deal with conservation conflicts, sense of justice, and nature stewardship. While studying nature stewardship in volunteer travel, she has explored hedonic values, self-efficacy, and global citizenship attitudes.