Determinants of gen z’s sustainable wanderlust

Abstract As an environmentally aware, socially active age cohort, Gen Z is crucial to the adoption of sustainable travel practices. This study examines the specific elements that influence Gen Z’s approach to sustainable travel and how peer-to-peer relationships serve as catalysts to this behavior. This research had two primary. First, to investigate the determinants of Gen Z’s eco-tourism behavior, including environmental awareness, price sensitivity, social norms, and perceived behavioral control; second, to determine whether peer pressure increases the effect of these determinants on this generation’s travel choices. The researchers analyzed the responses to an online survey of 329 Gen Z social media users in Germany, and the findings confirm that environmental awareness, price sensitivity, social norms, and perceived behavioral control are associated with Gen Z’s sustainable travel behavior. Notably, peer pressure enhances the impact of environmental awareness, price sensitivity, and perceived behavior control on the travel behavior of Gen Z but does not associate with the influence of social norms. This research highlights the importance of peer influence in changing people’s perceptions of sustainable tourism and offers important recommendations for changing the behavior of young people toward environmental protection. It also deepens our understanding of the social psychology of sustainability by emphasizing peer influence as a moderator and suggests new avenues of research for sustainability across various social and economic environments.