The Covid-19 pandemic has had a major negative impact on almost all circles, including Indonesian Gen Z. Thanks to the pandemic, the young age that should have been used to explore, suddenly had to be forced to self-isolate.
The results of the Inventure-Alvara survey conducted in 2020-2021 show that Gen Z has a higher stress level than their previous generations. This high level of stress is influenced by conditions full of uncertainty during the pandemic. Young Indonesian people are worried about the future of their careers, finances, and families.
One of the solutions used by Gen Z to deal with stress is healing. The term ‘healing’ is used by Indonesian young people to express recovery or activities to recover from the fatigue of life. One form of healing for Indonesian Gen Z is traveling.
2022 is the time that groups of Indonesian young people have been waiting for because the pandemic is considered to have subsided, vaccines are evenly distributed, and health protocol rules have been relaxed. This means that travel activities can be done more freely.
The euphoria of Indonesian Gen Z to travel is so great. Almost two years of isolation, traveling seems to be a symbol of independence. How do Gen Z deal with traveling habits in this post-pandemic era?
Gen Z: The Most ‘Don’t Want to Loss’ Generation When Traveling
The YouGov 2022: Youth of Today, Travel of Tomorrow – Travel and Tourism report shows that more than half of Indonesian Gen Z already intend to travel within the next year. Even better, 23% of Gen Z are looking to travel internationally in the near future!
Gen Z Indonesia is also heavily influenced by friends and relatives. More than 60% strongly believe in recommendations from their surroundings. If any of their friends or family visit a destination, they will ask questions and seek recommendation from that place.
Gen Z also look for references from reviews that made by other travelers. When looking for hotels or activities in a destination, they will look for ‘stars’ and reviews from travelers who have visited first. Gen Z has a ‘don’t want to lose’ mentality when traveling.
Talking about ‘don’t want to loss’, Gen Z really cares about the budget when they travel. They have some big worries when it comes to traveling; two of those concerns are the price of travel and accommodation.
Because they care about money and budget, Gen Z prefers to stay in three-stars hotels and below. In fact, if possible, they also have no problem if they have to stay temporarily with relatives, families, or friends to save costs.
This concern for money then makes Gen Z ‘creative’ when choosing accommodation or places to stay. Some of them don’t have a problem with backpacking by pitching a tent or renting a boarding house. As long as they can heal by traveling, they will go through all kinds of ways.
Gen Z: Prefers to Relax on the Beach
What kind of travel destinations do Gen Z like? It turns out that Gen Z really likes the beach. The beach is considered the most relaxing place to heal and chill. Recover from routine fatigue, and chill from the hustle and bustle of the city.
Even though Gen Z really likes the beach, it turns out that the beach is not the main travel destination. The majority of young people apparently travel to visit relatives and family. In Indonesia, there are still many young people living with their parents. Therefore, their vacation and traveling activities are still dictated by their father and mother. So, it is natural that many Gen Z feel that traveling outside the city is to meet relatives, family, and parents.
Outside of the beach and family activities, Gen Z loves activities that are rich in culture. If they visit a destination or tourist spot, they want to learn and experience the local culture.
Trapped and isolated during the pandemic, these young people want to feel and connect with the outside world. This connection they seek with things that are close to society and other human beings is culture. Culture is one of the closest connections where they can touch other humans while experiencing or learning things they have never felt before.
Gen Z: The Generation Most Influenced by Influencers
Who does not like influencer travelers? Photos of beautiful destinations, as well as tantalizing culinary videos, make Gen Z Indonesia ‘hobby’ to follow travel influencers on social media.
We know that Gen Z is looking for references and reviews from other travelers. But, they also like to look for travel references through influencers. Indonesian Gen Z is one of the younger generations in the world who most like to follow influencers on social media.
If you want to influence and ‘get close’ to Indonesian Gen Z, the easiest thing we can do is talk to influencers. The recommendation of these influencers are as strong as those of friends or relatives.
We Don’t Want to Loss!
Gen Z is a generation that is still discovering themselves and still at the starting point of their careers. Many of them are still in school or may have just started working. Therefore, money and budget are very important when traveling.
If you want to approach Gen Z who wants to travel, brands can offer vouchers or travel packages that are more ‘saving’. Some of them have no problem backpacking or staying in a ‘simple’ place as long as they can reach their desired destination.
This ‘frugal’ element is also not limited to transportation or accommodation. Food, places to shop and other expenses will also affect the decisions of Gen Z when they are traveling or plan to travel.
KEY INSIGHT 1:
Approach them from the wallet, then go down to the heart.
Recommendations from friends and family are taken seriously when they are looking for a destination or accommodation. However, when they search for information on destinations, accommodation, and tourist activities on the internet, reviews from other travelers are also very influential. Therefore, destinations and activities alone are not enough to sell, there must be reviews from other travelers so that they become strong considerations for Gen Z.
Influencers can also influence the decisions of Gen Z. But it must be remembered that young people are smart in choosing which influencers are truly ‘sincere’ and which influencers are pretending to be sincere or paid.
KEY INSIGHT 2:
Recommendations and reviews from relatives, friends, families, and other travelers are the key to selling a destination, accommodation, and tourist activity to Indonesian Gen Z.
The beach is symbol of healing for Gen Z. The gentle wind, soft sand, and the sounds of the waves are healing elements from the stress of various pressures and daily routines. If the brand wants to find an icon that represents healing for Gen Z, then the beach and elements close to the beach can be an option.
Destinations or tourist spots are important to Gen Z, but even more important is the culture within them. If you want to promote a tourist spot, also promote the culture, its cultural activities, and places to learn more about that culture.
KEY INSIGHT 3:
The beach is a symbol of healing for Gen Z. Culture is a destination attraction for Gen Z.
If you are interested in collaborating with us to get deeper insight and effective strategy, please contact:
faisyal.firdaus@stratx.id
08118003404
