Yeditepe University Tourism Management Department faculty member Assoc. Dr. Demet Genceli stated that young people are moving away from the classical understanding of luxury, saying, "Generation Z has very different vacation habits from us. Today, what young people understand by luxury means places that offer them special, personalized, authentic experiences, where they can feel more comfortable and be in harmony with nature and culture. Quiet luxury is also on the rise in tourism."

Yeditepe University Tourism Management Department faculty member Assoc. Dr. Demet Genceli made evaluations on the occasion of 'Tourism Week,' celebrated between April 15-22. Genceli said, "The new generation Z, that is, the generation born between 1997-2012, participates in travels in a structure that is more personalized, digitally integrated, pays attention to sustainability, and seeks experience, unlike us. Our generation prioritizes the search for comfort, luxury, and convenience."

'SOCIAL MEDIA IS VERY IMPORTANT IN THE TRAVEL PREFERENCES OF THE NEW GENERATION'

Touching on the factors that shape the holiday preferences of Generation Z, Genceli said, "Research shows that 80% of young tourists definitely do research on social media before going anywhere. They prefer places with higher scores on social media. They give weight to sharing on both social media and digital channels. In short, digital interaction and social media use are very important factors in the travel preferences of the new generation."

'BUSINESSES THAT VALUE SUSTAINABILITY ATTRACT MORE ATTENTION FROM YOUNG PEOPLE'

Assoc. Dr. Genceli stated that points such as being integrated with nature and the environment, contributing to the local economy, being together with local people in the places they go, and gaining experiences together determine the preferences of young people, and continued her words as follows:

"Businesses that value sustainability, are more creative in digital matters, and integrate natural resources into their activities attract more attention from young people. This also causes them to be preferred more. What this generation means by experience is collecting memories: 'Where to go paragliding, what adventure tourism is like, what it is like to share a table with local communities, what a tea picking event contributes to young people.' They want to be involved in activities such as living on a farm, hiking, and camping."

'THEY ALSO WANT TO CONTRIBUTE ECONOMICALLY'

Demet Genceli stated that sustainability is not just environmental sustainability, saying, "Sustainability has economic and cultural dimensions as well as protecting nature, reducing carbon emissions in the environment, and not harming natural resources. Young people not only care about environmental sustainability, but also want to contribute economically. They also want to contribute to the local people in the region they go to. They care about buying their handicrafts, contributing to their economies, and at the same time protecting their cultural values."

'YOUNG PEOPLE PREFER PLACES WITH HIGH SCORES'

Genceli stated that tourism investors should have good scores, saying, "Because young people really do good research and prefer places with higher scores. However, in the high score, the works that these businesses do within the scope of sustainability also come to the fore. For example, writings and comments such as only using cloth bags in the business, products being purchased from farmers in the area, meals being made from local people's products, and using solar energy panels attract a lot of attention from young people. They primarily consider these when choosing a business."

'THERE IS NOW A CONCEPT OF QUIET LUXURY IN THE WORLD'

Genceli said, "There is now a concept that stands out in the world, starting from the fashion industry: 'Quiet luxury.' In the tourism industry, this concept appears as going to more authentic places that can offer more personal services, rather than the most expensive, luxurious, and ostentatious places. Today, what young people understand by luxury are places that offer them special, personalized, authentic experiences, where they can feel more comfortable, and be integrated with nature and culture. Regions that can realize the concept of 'quiet luxury' in tourism are places like Bozcaada, Ayvalık, Kaş. In Antalya, on the other hand, we see the concept of luxury in the expensiveness, size, number of rooms, and services offered by hotels. Therefore, we see that young people currently prefer a boutique hotel in Bozcaada, a guesthouse in Datça, or a country house where they can live with the local people in Kaş, rather than 5-star holiday hotels in Antalya."

Genceli stated that quiet luxury is on the rise in tourism, saying, "We see that especially young people find very beautiful boutique places, holiday villages, and camping areas that we have never heard of or known."

'WE SEE INVESTMENTS FROM PEOPLE WHO HAVE NO CONNECTION WITH TOURISM'

Associate Professor Demet Genceli, pointing out that entrepreneurs should engage in impact and management-oriented entrepreneurship, continued:

“They need to consider social benefit as well as profit. When we look at the ventures in the field of tourism right now, we see that people who have no connection with tourism and not many ideas are investing in order to generate income from this business. But there are great benefits to working with a professional tourism investment consultant. There are currently very rising tourism investments, especially in Sharm El-Sheikh. They work with professional investment consultants. With the ideas they get from these people, they have started to build and operate very beautiful places suitable for young people and students in the sector. In addition, it is necessary to offer products integrated with local values. Investors need to show that they protect local value. They need to be intertwined with social media. They must provide effective and original content. They must definitely state how sustainable they are, what they care about, and in what aspects they protect sustainability in their businesses or destinations.”