Coming to Terms with the Digital Natives: Understanding the Marketing Sensitivities of GenZers as Hospitality Consumers

Even though the share of Gen Z in consumer markets is rising to the top [1, 2] studies on their consumer behavior are still lacking [3]. The dearth of research is even more noticeable in the field of hospitality [4‐8]. While sharing certain characteristics with millennials, such as internet savviness and a need to be connected [9], as “digital natives” [10] their consumer experiences are not simply extended or enhanced by digital connectivity, but mostly born of it [2, 11]. Therefore, the role mobile internet technologies and social media play in the consumer decisions and choices reaches a new level in Gen Z’s status-seeking, diversity-driven, and community-oriented search for brands [12, 13].

As Gen Z is expected to dominate both consumer and labor markets by 2026, it is imperative to conduct research on Gen Z as hospitality consumers for a better appraisal of their marketing sensitivities and responses to brand communications, especially on online platforms. Few recent studies suggest that overall brand uniqueness [11] social media presentability and sustainability-consciousness [12, 14] might be useful constructs in understanding brand responses of Gen Z to hotel and restaurants services. As another distinct characteristic, Gen Z does not shy away from cutting ties with a brand permanently [3] – or “canceling” it due to perceived corporate wrongdoings or shortcomings. However, no known scholarly research evaluates the impact of cancel culture – a prominent component of contemporary public discourse – on Gen Z’s hospitality decisions, let alone accommodation choices. Therefore, building upon these constructs conjointly, this study focuses on understanding the preferences, digital priorities, and marketing-related sensitivities of Gen Z as accommodation consumers.

The purpose of this study is threefold: i) what factors are influential in Gen Z’s online search for accommodation options, ii) what accommodation attributes are important for Gen Z, and iii) how contemporary constructs such as brand uniqueness, social media presentability, sustainability consciousness, and cancel culture impact Gen Z’s brand perceptions in accommodation.

As an exploratory study, both qualitative and quantitative (mixed) methods are employed. First, a survey was conducted with students at a private university in Türkiye. Qualitative parts of the study (focus group interviews with Gen Z students and semi-structured interviews with hotels, and intermediaries such as tour operators and travel agencies) are currently in progress following the conclusion of the survey. Interviews are designed to investigate the impact of brand uniqueness, social media presentability and cancel culture on Gen Z’s accommodation-based consumer decisions. Innovative visualizations for explanatory data analyses were created with the use of custom R code by utilizing the ‘ggplot2’ package.

Results from the initial part of the study (survey in progress, current N = 394) reveal that social media and mobile friendliness of accommodation choices are important factors in how favorably Gen Z responds to marketing communications. Furthermore, preference for a desirable location close to entertainment options, as well as internet access and high service quality signify the utilitarian and social dimension of their hospitality choices (see graphics below). These findings attest to the “digital native” dimension of the Gen Z population. All results from currently conducted survey as well as future parts of the study (interviews with hotels, intermediaries, and Gen Z students) will be shared at the presentation.

This study focuses on accommodation-related preferences and choices of Gen Z in a specific country culture. However, authors believe the implications can resonate with global audiences in this understudied area of hospitality consumption by arguably the most-globally connected generation.