For years, the luxury travel industry relied on a familiar assumption about Gen Z: that younger travelers were experience-driven, social media-conscious and eager for highly curated trips built around shareable moments.
A new report from Marriott International’s Luxury Group in Asia Pacific suggests that view is too narrow.
Based on responses from 2,800 affluent travelers across eight markets, including 1,200 Gen Z respondents aged 18 to 29, the study found that younger luxury travelers are not moving as one bloc. Instead, their priorities differ sharply across service, wellness, privacy, culture and identity.
“Luxury today is no longer defined by a singular standard. It is deeply personal,” said Oriol Montal, Regional Vice President of Luxury at Marriott International Asia Pacific. “Our research reveals that affluent Gen Z travelers are not just participating in luxury travel. They are reshaping it, driven by a desire for meaning, wellbeing, and authentic connection.”
The Marriott study identified four major Gen Z luxury traveler profiles, each with a different idea of what makes a trip worthwhile.
The largest group, the Connoisseur Traditionalists, accounts for 34 percent of respondents. They are the travelers most closely aligned with traditional luxury hospitality. For them, quality is still measured through brand reputation, exceptional service, loyalty recognition, acclaimed dining and careful planning.
According to the report, 91 percent of this group consider brand reputation a factor when booking, while 79 percent consistently stay in luxury hotels. Sixty-six percent also book trips at least one to two months in advance, suggesting that this segment values certainty, planning and established standards over spontaneity.
The Future Proofers, who make up 30 percent of respondents, approach travel through the lens of health and recovery. Nearly all of them, or 97 percent, use wellness facilities during their stays, while 95 percent want access to in-house healthcare professionals.
More than half are also willing to spend extra on wellness treatments, far higher than the broader Gen Z average of 20 percent. For this group, a luxury trip is not simply an escape. It is part of a broader effort to invest in long-term physical and mental well-being.
The Quiet Luxurists, representing 20 percent of respondents, challenge the assumption that Gen Z travelers are always online and visibility-driven.
Every respondent in this segment said they actively limit technology use while traveling, compared with 63 percent of Gen Z travelers overall. Eighty-five percent prefer lesser-known destinations, 60 percent seek places before they become popular, and 90 percent look for private dining experiences.
For them, luxury is defined less by display and more by privacy, silence and distance from crowded itineraries. Boutique hotels, private villas and under-the-radar destinations are more attractive than heavily promoted travel hotspots.
The smallest group, the Cultural Reclaimers, accounts for 16 percent of respondents. These travelers organize trips around heritage, identity and family connection.
All respondents in this segment take an active role in planning family trips, while 65 percent also control the family travel budget. Half said a destination connected to family heritage is very important in choosing where to go, compared with 33 percent of Gen Z respondents overall.
This group is not simply collecting experiences. It is using travel to understand roots, family history and cultural belonging.
The findings come as younger affluent travelers are becoming a more important market for the luxury travel sector. Several travel studies cited in the report show that Gen Z and Millennial travelers are expected to maintain or increase travel budgets despite rising costs, often cutting back on shopping or material purchases before reducing travel spending.
Their preferred spending categories also point to a clearer value system: cultural experiences, wellness, food, privacy and deeper engagement with place.
Technology is also shaping how younger travelers plan. More Gen Z and Millennial travelers now use artificial intelligence tools for travel inspiration, research and itinerary-building, making them more informed and selective before they book.
The Marriott report also found a shift from more frequent trips to longer and more meaningful stays. Among affluent travelers in Asia Pacific, average international leisure trips are expected to increase from seven to nine nights.
That change raises expectations for hotels, resorts and travel operators. A longer stay gives guests more time to notice gaps in service, weak personalization or generic experiences. It also gives operators more chances to build loyalty if the stay feels consistent, specific and connected to the destination.
The main takeaway for the luxury travel sector is that there is no single Gen Z strategy.
Some young travelers still want the established markers of luxury: polished service, trusted brands and recognition. Others want advanced wellness offerings, quiet spaces, cultural depth or destinations that feel undiscovered.
For Marriott and other luxury hospitality groups, the challenge is no longer how to attract “Gen Z” as a single market. It is how to understand the different motivations within the generation — and build travel experiences that feel personal enough to match them.