Gen Z’s Travel Preferences: Reflective and Nature-Rooted Tourism with the Concept of Eco-Experiential Tourism

To avoid tourism market failure caused by inappropriate development strategies, a study was conducted on the travel preferences of Generation Z, the future tourism market. The study found that tourism has shifted from comfortable, tranquil, and easily accessible areas to areas with unique views, extreme topography, proximity to nature, and instagrammable features. This shift reflects tourists’ responses and motivations. This study used a mixed-methods approach, involving 28 tourism managers and 147 Generation Z tourists. Quantitative methods, such as questionnaires, examined tourism motivations through push and pull factors, while in-depth interviews, a qualitative method, examined shifts in the tourism space. The results of this study demonstrate a shift away from the classical view that younger generations’ tourism behavior is predominantly hedonistic and consumptive toward an experience-oriented, nature-connected orientation, aligned with the concept of eco-experiential tourism. Rather than indicating a uniform or definitive shift in reflection, this tendency highlights the growing importance of experiential, cultural, and digital values in Generation Z’s travel preferences. Theoretically, the study contributes to refining existing perspectives by emphasizing the social, technological, and ecological dimensions shaping these preferences. In practice, the findings underscore the need for tourism policies that integrate nature conservation, digital innovation, and the strengthening of local culture to support sustainable destinations.