article · Journal of Sustainable Tourism
Generation Z is frequently described as the greenest generation with strong pro-sustainability sensibilities, yet evidence reveals a disconnect between their stated intentions and their real-world actions. An analysis of diverse studies examining pro-environmental behaviour, political consumerism, ethical choices, food waste, and psychological ownership of travel destinations indicates that current research is fragmented. Some findings highlight deep engagement, while others demonstrate clear inconsistencies. Existing scholarship risks overstating how coherent this generation's commitment to sustainability truly is. To understand their genuine contribution to sustainable tourism, research must examine the structural, cultural, and psychological barriers preventing values from translating into practice. Moving beyond celebratory narratives requires comparative and longitudinal approaches to clarify their actual role in advancing global sustainability goals.
Assuming younger travellers will automatically drive sustainable practices can lead to misguided policies and ineffective campaigns. Recognising the gap between intentions and behaviour allows educators, destination managers, and community leaders to address the practical barriers that prevent young consumers from making sustainable choices, ultimately supporting more realistic approaches to achieving sustainable development goals.
The insights could inform tourism businesses, digital marketers, and destination management organisations seeking to design realistic offerings and communications for younger travellers. However, because this work is a conceptual editorial and scoping review highlighting research gaps, it represents early-stage conceptual enquiry that requires further empirical testing before direct commercial application.
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Frequently labeled the "greenest generation," research often portrays Generation Z (Gen Z) as a generation with strong pro-sustainability sensibilities. However, closer scrutiny exposes a disconnect between their stated intentions and actual behavior. This editorial reflection draws on the contributions to the Special Issue "Gen Z: The Sustainable Tourism Generation?" and a critical scoping review to question whether Gen Z can genuinely support a shift toward sustainable tourism. The studies in this issue address themes such as pro-environmental behavior, political consumerism, ethical choices, food waste, and psychological ownership of destinations. Overall, they demonstrate a fragmented body of work, split between those who argue for Gen Z's deep engagement with sustainability and others who highlight inconsistencies. By synthesizing insights from the special issue and mapping them against broader trends in the literature, this editorial argues that current scholarship risks overstating the coherence of Gen Z's sustainability orientation. It urges researchers to interrogate the structural, cultural, and psychological barriers that mediate the translation of values into action. Finally, it outlines a future research agenda that calls for greater theoretical clarity, comparative and longitudinal designs, and a move beyond celebratory narratives, to better understand Gen Z's actual role in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals within tourism and beyond.
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DOI: 10.1080/09669582.2025.2491702
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