While previous generations might have dreamed of visiting Paris, Gen Z dreams of jetting off to Tokyo.American Express data shows that trips to Japan have “surged 1,300% since 2019.” Some experts are tying Gen Z’s interest in Japan to a rebellion against more chaotic American culture. But while that could be an underlying motivation, YPulse has to call out that this shift isn’t recent: when we ask young people where in the world they want to visit, Japan has consistently been the top dream destination since 2016. And the reality is that Gen Z has driven the popularity boom around anime and grown up with Japanese food as a mainstream cuisine, so it’s more likely they want to experience the origins of these favorites than the “social order” of the country. On top of that, data also shows that most young people site a TV show, movie, or social content as their inspiration for visiting a destination—and Japan is a uniquely “visually distinctive” place. (Fortune)
👀 Read more from YPulse: Young People’s Top 15 Dream Travel Destinations
