Remember when planning a holiday started with choosing a place? Goa. Jaipur. Dubai. Singapore. You picked the destination, booked the flights, found a hotel and then started making a list of things to do. Gen Z seems to be flipping that order.
The starting point can now be a concert ticket, a music festival, a theme park, a food experience or simply something interesting enough to justify packing a bag. The destination comes later. And that makes holiday planning rather interesting. Bakshi points out that travel is becoming part of everyday life for Gen Z rather than being treated as one big annual event. A resort can become the destination rather than simply a place to sleep. A theme park can turn a weekend outing into a short holiday.”
Airbnb’s 2026 research found that seven in 10 Indian Gen Z travellers would rather take three short trips than one long annual holiday. Another interesting finding is that 80% said the smaller moments of a trip matter more than famous attractions. Because of an event, as Bakshi explains, “A city can attract visitors.
“A three-day music festival, a spontaneous road trip, a wellness retreat or an adventure weekend can become a complete travel experience,” he says.
Destination Buzz: Planning a Switzerland train holiday in 2026? That changes the holiday planning formula quite dramatically. Instead of choosing a place and asking what you can do there, you might find something you really want to do and then ask where it can take you. And perhaps your next holiday will not begin with a destination search at all. It might begin with an amusement park visit or a concert ticket sitting in your inbox. Here’s what to know about the Grand Train Tour
