'Gen Z are turning to culture instead of alcohol': Is the party holiday officially over?  

As I sit atop the mountainous hill of Alexandra Park with the ancient city of Bath sprawling out for miles all around me, I’m enraptured and humbled by the abundance of weathered stone, the sporadic smudges of ancient oaks, and the mystical rolling hills that have inspired everyone from the Romans to Peter Gabriel to flock here for healing and peace. It’s what I’m doing here too, I suppose. Escaping from the hustle and bustle of everyday life to get some quiet – and some culture too. There’s more than enough of it here, with mediaeval castles, Roman baths, and the many homes of Jane Austen easily taken in in just a long weekend.  

My trip is one of many I’ve made this year, all to UK hotspots to see the culture of the cities rather than the nightclubs that would’ve drawn me in a few years ago. And I’m not alone in this shifting perspective. 

Visiting party spots like Magaluf and Ibiza may have long been a rite of passage for young people, jetting off to drink in excess and dance until the sun comes up. But new research is showing that Gen Z are increasingly prioritising culture over partying when it comes to their getaways now, often staying in the UK. It’s a fact that’s obvious after spending just a few minutes scrolling through TikTok’s envy-inducing travel vlogs and tip-sharing videos. 

Louisa Hone is an avid traveller, often setting off solo to walk the UK’s most beautiful trails and see the more underrated side of the landscape. She shares her trips, as well as her tips, on TikTok. “I started posting videos just for my own memories but then people started commenting asking where I was and that they wanted to visit there too. I thought, ‘Wow, if I’m inspiring people to do something I love, I’m going to keep going.’ Now people are actively saving everything I post which is amazing. 

“There’s something so wholesome about getting out and making memories and enjoying nature,” Hone adds. “Don’t get me wrong, I love the occasional night out but the memories I’ve made exploring the UK have been so much more worthwhile.” 

It’s not just Hone’s followers who share her enthusiasm for more low-key getaways. According to SkyParkSecure’s Young People’s Travel Report, only 5% of Gen Zers said party holidays ‘appeal to them’, with a surprisingly small amount even just caring about the bars and clubs in the area they’d want to visit. In fact, 23% of the young people they surveyed said they would ‘never’ choose a destination known for its partying, preferring instead to enjoy a relaxing beach holiday or break in a city known for its famous landmarks.  

There are a few factors stopping me personally from boarding a plane to Ibiza. For one, like many Gen Zers, I don’t drink and so am immune to the draw of cheap booze. This plants me solidly in the group of surveyed youngsters who would ‘never’ go somewhere known for its partying because, when you’re sober, there’s nothing more annoying than a group of drunken, noisy holiday goers. More seriously, StudentUniverse’s 2024 State of Student Youth Travel Report found that many young people, even those who do drink, will avoid alcohol when travelling to keep from putting themselves in unsafe situations in unknown environments.  

So with alcohol off the table, Gen Z are turning to culture instead. 

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For those in the UK, culture is accessible in abundance and it’s this fact that’s led me, and many others, to stop holidaying abroad. There are more than 500 National Trust sites across the UK, with English Heritage caring for more than 400 additional historic buildings, monuments and sites as well. That’s not counting the 35 Unesco World Heritage Sites in the UK, of which Bath is just one.

You’re spoilt for choice and you don’t even have to leave the country. “The UK has so many hidden gems that people should appreciate and adore the same way I do,” Hone says. “The country is stunning, the nature is breathtaking and the memories are unforgettable.” 

Staying in the UK has the added benefit of being a vastly more sustainable way to holiday and that’s something Gen Z are also aware of. In StudentUniverse’s report, experts found that 13% of people no longer travel by plane due to emissions and, as published in 2024’s Global Business Travel Review, 46% of Gen Zers travel only by train when going on a trip in a conscious effort to reduce their impact on the planet.  

It’s something that doesn’t surprise Iain Griffin, CEO of train ticket app Seatfrog. “Gen Z has a conscience about the environment,” he says. But there are other considerations they make when travelling, he adds. “Data from our customers suggests that had they not been able to find such low-cost tickets through the app, 70% would have chosen alternative, less green, modes of transport including cars, buses and coaches. So it’s a balancing act – they want to travel using greener modes of transport, but they also need to be able to afford the ticket price to get there.” 

But, like Hone, Griffin believes it’s more than just climate-consciousness and affordability keeping Gen Z in the UK. “Gen Z are suffering more burnout than ever before and so taking a break in the UK is likely a lot more appealing than dealing with the added stressors going abroad can bring,” he says. “There are tonnes of hidden gems in the UK and we know from our research that 27% of Gen Z’s were only planning to travel in the UK this year, with 34% planning to tick off historical landscapes they have never been to before.” 

So the party holiday is losing its pulse, if it’s not already dead, for a whole host of reasons. Gen Z want travel to be more experience-led than alcohol-fuelled and it’s no surprise with their changing view of alcohol in general. They’re the sober generation and quickly becoming the culturally curious one too.  

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