[Z世代Trend Lab by GMO] Yen Depreciation and High Prices Lead Z世代 to Abandon Overseas Summer Travel [GMO NIKKO]

GMO NIKKO Co., Ltd. (Representative Director, President & CEO: Isamu Sakuma), a member of the GMO Internet Group, conducted a survey on "Gen Z's 2026 Summer Vacation Travel" targeting 500 university students and working professionals aged 18-28 through its "Z世代 Trend Lab by GMO" service. This survey clarified preferred travel destinations and the actual state of AI utilization in travel planning.

The survey results revealed that 53.7% of respondents planning only domestic travel had originally considered overseas travel but shifted to domestic options due to concerns over the weak yen, high prices, and global instability. This trend indicates the growing importance for the travel industry to add high value to domestic travel products and to disseminate information emphasizing safety and security.

This survey can be utilized by companies for product and service development, communication design, and media planning that understand the needs of Gen Z and other younger demographics.

[Survey Summary]
■ Travel Intentions: 48.2% of all Gen Z plan summer travel; 70% of university students plan to travel
48.2% of all Gen Z respondents plan to take an overnight trip this summer (July-September). The rate was 70.0% among university students, significantly higher than the 44.0% among working professionals. This reflects the ease of taking long vacations for students and their expectations for summer break. The student demographic, which can easily take long holidays, is a key target for the travel market, making them important for promoting summer-only travel products and campaigns.

■ Travel Destinations: South Korea and Taiwan are the top two overseas destinations for Gen Z; Hokkaido tops domestic list
For overseas travel, South Korea (39.1%) and Taiwan (35.9%) significantly outpaced other countries, becoming the top two destinations for Gen Z. Neighboring Asian regions, which are relatively affordable even under the weak yen and accessible in a short time, are chosen as realistic travel destinations by Gen Z. For domestic travel, Hokkaido (18.8%) ranked first, followed by Tokyo (12.9%) and Osaka (11.8%).

■ Travel Planning Methods: 62.2% of Gen Z use AI; 3 out of 4 university students use AI
Among Gen Z planning to travel, 62.2% overall stated they plan to use AI tools like ChatGPT or AI tools embedded in travel websites. This figure reached 75.0% among university students and 58.4% among working professionals. This highlights the characteristic of Gen Z as "AI natives," for whom using AI for travel planning is becoming commonplace. Relying on AI for everything from information gathering to itinerary building is now the norm, making it essential for the travel industry to design content that can be reached via AI searches and AI tools.

■ Over Half of Those Considering Only Domestic Travel Shifted from Overseas Demand
53.7% of respondents planning only domestic travel shifted their destination from overseas to domestic. The primary reason was "impact of the weak yen and high prices" (19.5%), followed by "concerns about global affairs (war, terrorism, infectious disease risks, etc.)" (18.8%) and "airfare and hotels are too expensive" (17.4%).

[Survey Overview]
・Survey Theme: Survey on "Gen Z's 2026 Summer Vacation Travel"
・Survey Period: April 20 (Mon) - April 22 (Wed), 2026
・Survey Organizer: "Z世代 Trend Lab by GMO" (GMO NIKKO Co., Ltd.)
・Survey Region: Japan
・Survey Target: University students and working professionals aged 18-28
・Valid Responses: 500 (80 university students, 420 working professionals)
・Survey Method: Internet survey

[Detailed Survey Results]
■ Question: Summer 2026 Travel Plans
48.2% of Gen Z plan an overnight trip this summer (July-September). The breakdown of destinations is "overseas only" (11.0%), "domestic only" (29.8%), and "both overseas and domestic" (7.4%). The proportion of "domestic only" was similar for university students (31.3%) and working professionals (29.5%). However, the proportion of "overseas travel (overseas only and both)" showed a large gap between university students (38.8%) and working professionals (14.5%), clearly reflecting the difference between students who can easily travel during long vacations and working professionals whose summer holidays vary in availability, timing, and duration.

■ Question: Overseas Travel Destinations
1st place was South Korea (39.1%), and 2nd place was Taiwan (35.9%). These two countries/regions were the top two popular destinations, far outpacing the rest. Following were China (17.4%), Hong Kong (15.2%), and the mainland USA (10.9%), with neighboring Asian regions dominating the top spots. This reveals that areas which are relatively affordable even under the weak yen and accessible in a short time are chosen as realistic travel destinations by Gen Z.

■ Question: Domestic Travel Destinations
1st place was Hokkaido (18.8%), 2nd was Tokyo (12.9%), 3rd was Osaka (11.8%), and 4th was Kyoto and Miyagi prefectures (both 11.3%). Hokkaido took the top spot, likely due to its summer activities and rich food culture, clearly distinguishing it from the standard tourist destinations in the urban areas ranked below.

■ Question: AI Tool Usage in Travel Planning
62.2% of all respondents stated they plan to use AI tools for travel planning. The breakdown was 75.0% for university students and 58.4% for working professionals. The most popular tool was ChatGPT (OpenAI) (32.0%), followed by Gemini (Google) (24.9%). Furthermore, the use of AI assistants built into travel websites (e.g., Jalan, Rakuten Travel) (10.8%) is also expanding. This clearly demonstrates the characteristic of Gen Z as "AI natives," who take it for granted to rely on AI for everything from information gathering to itinerary building, even in the context of travel planning.

■ Shift in Demand from Overseas to Domestic Travel
Among respondents planning only domestic travel, only 46.3% said they "originally intended to travel domestically." The remaining 53.7% had shifted from overseas travel demand to domestic travel demand for various reasons. The main reasons for the shift were "impact of the weak yen and high prices" (19.5%), "concerns about global affairs (war, terrorism, infectious disease risks, etc.)" (18.8%), and "airfare and hotels are too expensive" (17.4%), indicating that both cost and safety factors are driving the domestic shift. By attribute, university students' "concerns about global affairs" (36.0%) was more than double that of working professionals (15.3%). On the other hand, the majority of working professionals (50.0%) "originally intended to travel domestically," showing a tendency to choose domestic travel.

■ Survey Comment: Hiroyuki Kozu, Chief Researcher, "Z世代 Trend Lab by GMO"
What is particularly noteworthy in this survey is the rapid penetration of AI in travel planning. Over 60% of Gen Z respondents said they use AI for travel planning, and among university students, this rate reaches 75%. This vividly portrays them as "AI natives" who use AI as a matter of course not only as a tool for work efficiency but also in everyday situations like planning vacations.