If Your Travel Ad Looks Too Perfect, Gen Z Won't Trust It

Show them the good, the bad and the ugly

I’ve booked trips across four continents based on 60-second recaps from creators most people haven’t heard of. Why? Because they’re honest. As someone who works in creator marketing and runs a travel blog on the side, I see exactly what clicks with Gen Z: content that’s unfiltered, smart and self-aware.

Perfect Travel Content Fails. Here’s What Gen Z Actually Wants

For years, Instagram set the standard for travel marketing: Slow-motion beach walks, sweeping drone shots and golden-hour brunch spreads. But that era is over—and so is the algorithm that rewarded it.  

Gen Z makes decisions in seconds, favoring content that teaches, reveals or solves. If it helps us avoid a baggage fee, score a last-minute dinner reservation or find a $2 espresso near our Airbnb, consider us hooked.

Lean Into Real Voices With Micro Creators  

While some brands default to selling fantasy, others are evolving to meet Gen Z’s needs. Micro creators with niche credibility and tight-knit audiences are quietly outperforming the polished names with seven-figure followings. Why? Because their content doesn’t sound like a brand push, it sounds like a group chat drop. 

Three Brands That Are Getting It Right

Airbnb is partnering with micro creators to map the full travel experience. @lilybrewerr, with just over 4,000 followers, documented her trip to the Olympics using Airbnb—from frantic packing to airport navigation to the walk to her gate. It’s not glamorous, and that’s the point.

Delta is embracing TikTok-native formats, tapping creators to show what flying actually looks like. In one post, @sashalillieandfriends (with just 157 followers) breaks down how to travel with a service animal—from check-in to seat setup. It’s specific, lived-in and built to help, not impress.

Expedia is moving beyond bucket list clichés and into the truth about what’s worthwhile, and what’s not. In a post from @calebthill, he calls out overrated destinations and suggests better alternatives, complete with how to book them through Expedia. It’s travel advice powered by someone who’s been there, done that, and wants to help you avoid the same mistakes.

How Travel Brands Can Level Up Moving Forward

Be search-worthy. Gen Z isn’t starting on Google. We’re searching TikTok, Instagram and Substack with queries like “How to travel Japan on a budget” or “Best solo stays in Lisbon.” Your content should answer those questions.

Don’t skip to the good part. Think: “I missed my train in Italy—here’s how I recovered.” Show us the good, the bad and the ugly.

Embrace long-form content. Substack, newsletters and blogs give creators space to explain what short-form can’t: why a trip was worth it, what went wrong, and what they’d do differently next time. Those are the kind of details we trust. Miscellaneous Good nails this with city guides that feel lived-in, not lifted from Google. Yolanda Edwards is another go-to, with stories that cover the high points and the hiccups.

Show value, not just luxury. If your content only shows luxury stays and first-class upgrades, we’ll scroll. Show us where to split an Airbnb four ways or why a $7 bánh mì spot is better than a $70 tasting menu.

Let creators lead with their voice. The more it sounds like them and not your brand, the more likely we are to believe it and book the trip.

Make content platform-native. A TikTok recap, an Instagram photo dump, a Substack itinerary—each serves a different purpose. Build for where the content lives, not just where the brand wants to be.

Gen Z was raised on uncertainty, and we plan our travel the same way—braced for pivots and drawn to content that shows what actually happens. In a world where travel costs more and attention spans less, content that informs is content that performs. If your travel ad looks too perfect, we won’t trust it, and we definitely won’t book it.