Brand Watch has analysed millions of social media conversations to understand how each generation is shaping—and reacting to—trends in travel.

The consumer intelligence and marketing software platform's The Generation Trends report looked at four generational groups: Gen Z, millennials, Gen X and baby boomers.

Brand Watch analysed social media mentions between 1 January 2024 and 31 March 2025.

For Gen Z, food was regarded as a vital part of the travelling experience. With more than 47,000 mentions, this generation generated a higher percentage of food chat than any other and they were picky.

In fact, 59 per cent of their sentiment-categorised mentions about food and travel were negative—this generation doesn’t shy away from sharing their underwhelming dining experiences.

Gen Z is craving shareworthy food experiences, whether it's leaving a review, sharing a snap, or even creating experiences worthy of a social media interaction.

Millennials, on the other hand, craved reliability and low-stress travel. Whether it was dependable transport or smart, helpful tech, they were seeking simple, seamless experiences.

Road trips were a popular topic for this generation, but 53 per cent of sentiment-categorised mentions were negative, which was higher than any other generation.

Millennials also wanted advice and were turning to the internet to get it. From figuring out if their car could handle the distance to finding accessible routes, millennials were looking for answers that made the road feel a little less rough.

Gen X were big on urban getaways, but only if they were stress-free. They talked about the topic nearly 30 per cent more than the generational average.

More than half (54 per cent) of their emotion-categorised mentions expressed anger, with joy coming in as the second-most prevalent emotion at 22 per cent. So, while Gen Xers liked chatting about city getaways, the experience often fell flat. Crowded conditions, travel logistics and service hiccups led to frustration with city breaks. And the biggest complaint for city travellers was trouble getting around.

Yet, despite the negativity, the desire for an urban getaway remained high. Plenty of Gen Xers were excited about the prospect, chatting about the best cities to visit and looking for and providing recommendations to others.

Baby boomers prioritised romance when on holiday. The generation talked about romance in conversations about travel more than any other generation. And they were happy about it, too – 72 per cent of sentiment-categorized mentions from baby boomers about romantic holidays were positive, compared to an average of 53 per cent for other generations.

For baby boomers, travel was regarded as a time to connect with spouses and partners. Mentions discussed how travel can deepen connection and they liked to share their excitement online, whether it was the excitement of an upcoming trip or a previous holiday that created romantic memories.

Adults-only resorts, gifts for couples celebrating an anniversary and affordable pricing were just some of the benefits boomers were seeking.

Learn more here.