Gen Z shunning the pre-flight pint for matcha green tea, airports say | Young people
Christmas is over and a new year is upon us. So it’s time to start planning your next summer vacation.
Next year, however, you may be more likely to have gut health shots and Japanese tea at the airport than the once-traditional morning pints.
Figures from Manchester Airport Group, the UK’s largest, show a growing number of passengers giving up pre-flight alcohol in favor of healthier alternatives.
Sales of matcha, the antioxidant-rich green tea, have increased by 165% this year at Manchester, Stansted and East Midlands airports, with TikTok influencers touting it as the ultimate wellness drink.
Younger travelers were also more likely to consume super smoothies and gut health shots – up 650% and 102% respectively – than £7 airport pints.
And rather than skin in the sky, social media’s craze for “skin care in the sky” has led to a 399% increase in onboard mask sales compared to 2024.
These trends reflect the healthier – and more selfie-conscious – habits of Gen Z travelers, defined as those born between 1997 and 2012, and far more of them are jetting off for city getaways and retreats than for rowdy 18- to 30-year-old vacations.
Andrew MacMillan, director of strategy at Manchester Airport Group, said this generational shift was transforming habits in the departure lounge: “This data shows the influence of our younger passengers. Generation Z is creating their airport experiences heavily influenced by AI and social media. These travelers both want to follow and set trends.”
Although experts are not yet putting an end to pre-flight pints – sales have increased in recent years alongside growth in passenger numbers – younger travelers are less likely to fill airport pubs.
At Manchester, Stansted and East Midlands airports, 61,500 more cups of matcha were sold this year compared to 2024. Stansted alone recorded 70,000 sales of Japanese super-tea this year, almost 200 a day.
One of the must-have accessories of the year – at least, according to TikTok – was the influencer-loved Stanley Cup Holders (they come in a wide range of colors). More than 10,000 of the £40 Stanley bottles have been sold across the three airports this year – six times as many as went on sale in 2024.
It’s not just social media that is driving alternative travel habits: AI is increasingly being used as a “virtual travel agent”, according to the Manchester Airport Group.
A recent survey found that one in four passengers under the age of 25 had used or intended to use tools such as ChatGPT to plan their trip.
Travel data also suggests that fewer Gen Z travelers are taking boozy vacations between the ages of 18 and 30 to the party hotspots of the Canary Islands and the Mediterranean.
Among the typical party spots for 18-30 year olds, only Tenerife and Palma were in the top 10 destinations for under 25s last year. City breaks to Barcelona, Amsterdam, Dublin and New York were in greater demand.
Generation Z is more likely than their elders to stay away from tourist traps. Figures from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) show flights to Albania, Bulgaria and Romania doubled among under-25s last year, partly due to a trend on social media for “destination dupes” recommending scenic spots on a budget.
Yet those with more money seem happy to spend it on long-haul trips. Vacation rental company Airbnb said Buenos Aires in Argentina, Busan in South Korea, João Pessoa in Brazil and Nakano in Japan were the top trending cities among Gen Z this year.
Younger Brits might find adventure closer to home, however. Travel magazine National Geographic on Monday chose stargazing in Northumberland as its hottest trip in the world for 2026, ahead of “forest bathing” in Japan and a football pilgrimage through South America. After all, face masks in flight may not be necessary.
