ESP-3908

Published

2025-08-15

Issue

Vol. 10 No. 8 (2025): Published

Section

Research Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Christine Marie B. Fernandez, Daisy May Dr. Reamico, Jason V. Chavez, Shanelaima Bangahan, Maricar P. Rellon

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

The journal adopts the Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0), which means that anyone can reuse and redistribute the materials for non-commercial purposes as long as you follow the license terms and the original source is properly cited.

Author(s) shall retain the copyright of their work and grant the Journal/Publisher rights for the first publication with the work concurrently licensed since 2023 Vol.8 No.2.

Under this license, author(s) will allow third parties to download, reuse, reprint, modify, distribute and/or copy the content under the condition that the authors are given credit. No permission is required from the authors or the publisher.

This broad license intends to facilitate free access, as well as the unrestricted use of original works of all types. This ensures that the published work is freely and openly available in perpetuity.

By providing open access, the following benefits are brought about:

  • Higher Visibility, Availability and Citations-free and unlimited accessibility of the publication over the internet without any restrictions increases citation of the article.
  • Ease of search-publications are easily searchable in search engines and indexing databases.
  • Rapid Publication – accepted papers are immediately published online.
  • Available for free download immediately after publication at https://esp.as-pub.com/index.php/ESP

 

Copyright Statement

1.The authors certify that the submitted manuscripts are original works, do not infringe the rights of others, are free from academic misconduct and confidentiality issues, and that there are no disputes over the authorship scheme of the collaborative articles. In case of infringement, academic misconduct and confidentiality issues, as well as disputes over the authorship scheme, all responsibilities will be borne by the authors.

2. The author agrees to grant the Editorial Office of Environment and Social Psychology a licence to use the reproduction right, distribution right, information network dissemination right, performance right, translation right, and compilation right of the submitted manuscript, including the work as a whole, as well as the diagrams, tables, abstracts, and any other parts that can be extracted from the work and used in accordance with the characteristics of the journal. The Editorial Board of Environment and Social Psychology has the right to use and sub-licence the above mentioned works for wide dissemination in print, electronic and online versions, and, in accordance with the characteristics of the periodical, for the period of legal protection of the property right of the copyright in the work, and for the territorial scope of the work throughout the world.

3. The authors are entitled to the copyright of their works under the relevant laws of Singapore, provided that they do not exercise their rights in a manner prejudicial to the interests of the Journal.

About Licence

Environment and Social Psychology is an open access journal and all published work is available under the Creative Commons Licence, Authors shall retain copyright of their work and grant the journal/publisher the right of first publication, and their work shall be licensed under the Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0).

Under this licence, the author grants permission to third parties to download, reuse, reprint, modify, distribute and/or copy the content with attribution to the author. No permission from the author or publisher is required.

This broad licence is intended to facilitate free access to and unrestricted use of original works of all kinds. This ensures that published works remain free and accessible in perpetuity. Submitted manuscripts, once accepted, are immediately available to the public and permanently accessible free of charge on the journal’s official website (https://esp.as-pub.com/index.php/ESP). Allowing users to read, download, copy, print, search for or link to the full text of the article, or use it for other legal purposes. However, the use of the work must retain the author's signature, be limited to non-commercial purposes, and not be interpretative.

Click to download <Agreement on the Licence for the Use of Copyright on Environmental and Social Psychology>.

How to Cite

Christine Marie B. Fernandez, Daisy May Dr. Reamico, Jason V. Chavez, Shanelaima Bangahan, & Maricar P. Rellon. (2025). Dominant tourism behaviors of Gen Z as precursor to consumer-driven branding of hospitality enterprises. Environment and Social Psychology, 10(8), ESP-3908. https://doi.org/10.59429/esp.v10i8.3908

Dominant tourism behaviors of Gen Z as precursor to consumer-driven branding of hospitality enterprises

Christine Marie B. Fernandez

School of Business Administration, Zamboanga Peninsula Polytechnic State University, Zamboanga City 7000, Philippines

Daisy May Dr. Reamico

School of Business Administration, Zamboanga Peninsula Polytechnic State University, Zamboanga City 7000, Philippines

Jason V. Chavez

School of Business Administration, Zamboanga Peninsula Polytechnic State University, Zamboanga City 7000, Philippines

Shanelaima Bangahan

School of Business Administration, Zamboanga Peninsula Polytechnic State University, Zamboanga City 7000, Philippines

Maricar P. Rellon

School of Business and Management, School, J H Cerilles State College, Pagadian City, Zamboanga Del Sur 7016, Philippines


DOI: https://doi.org/10.59429/esp.v10i8.3908


Keywords: Generation Z; tourism behavior; consumer branding; hospitality; digital platforms; value-driven travel

Abstract

This study asserts that the tourism behaviors of Generation Z function not only as personal choices but as pivotal indicators of consumer-driven branding trends in the hospitality industry. As the first fully digital-native generation, Gen Z approaches travel as a deeply personal and value-centered experience integrating affordability, emotional connection, and social responsibility in their decision-making. Using a qualitative exploratory design, this research gathered insights from 28 Filipino Gen Z travelers to examine how their tourism behaviors reflect broader consumer expectations, particularly regarding sustainability, inclusivity, digital engagement, and brand authenticity. Findings reveal that Gen Z travelers from Zamboanga Peninsula evaluate hospitality experiences based on emotional resonance, ethical consistency, and peer validation through digital media. Branding efforts must therefore align operational behavior with consumer values, emphasizing participatory engagement and authenticity over traditional loyalty models. In essence, Gen Z’s tourism behaviors are not only shaping hospitality choices but also redefining branding frameworks toward co-creation, ethical transparency, and shared identity. This study underscores the need for hospitality enterprises to recalibrate branding strategies to remain socially relevant and competitively sustainable in the Gen Z era.

References

[1]. 1.Marques, J., Gomes, S., Ferreira, M., Rebuá, M., & Marques, H. (2025). Generation Z and Travel Motivations: The Impact of Age, Gender, and Residence. Tourism and Hospitality, 6(2), 82. https://doi.org/10.3390/tourhosp6020082

[2]. 2.Adalia, H.G., Chavez, J.V., Hayudini, M.A.A., et al., 2025. Relevance of Grammar among Gen Z College Students Using Social Learning Perspectives. Forum for Linguistic Studies. 7(3): 432–450. DOI: https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v7i3.8401

[3]. 3.Lamorinas, D.D., Luna, L.A., Lai, M.N.D., et al., 2025. A General Perspective on the Factors Influencing the Low Preferences of Gen Z College Students towards the Filipino Language. Forum for Linguistic Studies. 7(3): 451–466. DOI: https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v7i3.8482

[4]. 4.Richards, G. (2015). The new global nomads: Youth travel in a globalizing world. Tourism Recreation Research, 40(3), 340–352.

[5]. 5.Seyfi, Siamak & Vo-Thanh, Tan & Zaman, Mustafeed. (2024). Hospitality in the age of Gen Z: A critical reflection on evolving customer and workforce expectations. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management. 10.1108/IJCHM-01-2024-003.

[6]. 6.Reamico DMD, Bangahan S, Hayudini MAA, et al. Strategizing marketing initiatives from tourism-seeking behaviors among travelers. Environment and Social Psychology 2025; 10(7): 3880 doi:10.59429/esp.v10i7.3880

[7]. 7.Robinson, Victor & Schänzel, Heike. (2019). A tourism inflex: Generation Z travel experiences. Journal of Tourism Futures. ahead-of-print. 10.1108/JTF-01-2019-0014.

[8]. 8.Popsa, Roxana. (2024). Exploring the Generation Z Travel Trends and Behavior. Studies in Business and Economics. 19. 189-189. 10.2478/sbe-2024-0010.

[9]. 9.Cunha, Maria. (2019). The tourism journey, from inspiration to post-travel phase, and the mobile technologies.

[10]. 10.Hu, Lala & Olivieri, Mirko. (2020). Social media management in the traveller's customer journey: an analysis of the hospitality sector. Current Issues in Tourism. 24. 10.1080/13683500.2020.1819969.

[11]. 11.Prasanna, Matsa & Priyanka, Asi. (2024). Marketing to Gen Z: Understanding the Preferences and Behaviors of Next Generation. International Journal For Multidisciplinary Research. 6. 10.36948/ijfmr.2024.v06i04.26612.

[12]. 12.Lu, W., Pongsakornrungsilp, P., Klamsaengsai, S., Ketkaew, K., Tonsakunthaweeteam, S., & Li, L. (2025). Influence of Creative Tourist Experiences and Engagement on Gen Z’s Environmentally Responsible Behavior: A Moderated Mediation Model. Sustainability, 17(11), 4992. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17114992

[13]. 13.Tata, Eleni & Sharrock, Megan & Westerlaken, Rodney. (2023). Generation Z consumer behaviour and hotel branding: exploring the role of values, corporate identity and trust. Research in Hospitality Management. 13. 63-68. 10.1080/22243534.2023.2239585.

[14]. 14.Etrata, Antonio Jr & Torres, Judiren & Raborar, Jackie. (2025). Factors Influencing Filipino Generation Z's Travel Intention and Behavior: Perceived Use of Social Networking Sites. Review of Integrative Business and Economics Research. 14. 553-571.

[15]. 15.Pricope, Alina & Baltescu, Codruta & Brătucu, Gabriel & Tecău, Alina & Chițu, Ioana & Duguleana, Liliana. (2023). Examining the Disruptive Potential of Generation Z Tourists on the Travel Industry in the Digital Age. Sustainability. 15. 10.3390/su15118756.

[16]. 16.OECD. (2021, March 26). Chart: How gen Z employment levels compare in OECD countries. World Economic Forum. Available online: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/03/gen-z-unemployment-chart-global-comparisons/

[17]. 17.Dimock, M. Defining generations: Where Millennials end and Generation Z begins. Available online: https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2019/01/17/where-millennials-end-and-generation-z-begins/ (accessed on 8 March 2023).

[18]. 18.Seemiller, C.; Grace, M. Generation Z Goes to College; John Wiley & Sons: San Francisco, CA, USA, 2016; pp. 6–7.

[19]. 19.Twenge, J.M. iGen: Why Today’s Super-Connected Kids Are Growing up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy—And Completely Unprepared for Adulthood—And What that Means for the Rest of Us; Simon and Schuster: New York, NY, USA, 2017; pp. 1–16.

[20]. 20.Chicca, J.; Shellenbarger, T. Connecting with Generation Z: Approaches in Nursing Education. Teach. Learn. Nurs. 2018, 13, 180–184.

[21]. 21.Dolot, A. The characteristics of Generation Z. E-Mentor 2018, 74, 44–50

[22]. 22.Putri, Santika. (2022). The Impact of Electronic Word of Mouth (EWOM) Using Influencers on Brand Awareness and Purchase Intention. CoverAge: Journal of Strategic Communication. 13. 11-25. 10.35814/coverage.v13i1.3913.

[23]. 23.Marie, Alyssa. (2024). Impact of Social Media Marketing on Consumers in Philippines. International Journal of Fashion and Design. 3. 28-39. 10.47604/ijfd.3014.

[24]. 24.Sapkota, Krishna & Palamanit, Arkom & Techato, Kuaanan & Gyawali, Saroj & Ghimire, Hari & Khatiwada, Bishal. (2024). The Role of Local Community in Enhancing Sustainable Community Based Tourism. Journal of Electrical Systems. 20. 558-571.

[25]. 25.Tandafatu, Natalia & Ermilinda, Lindiana & M Darkel, Yohanes Brekmans. (2024). Digital Transformation in Tourism: Exploring the Impact of Technology on Travel Experiences. International Journal of Multidisciplinary Approach Sciences and Technologies. 1. 55-64. 10.62207/w3vsg352.

[26]. 26.Sonido, Julie & Rubio, Dawn & Sisles, Lovely & Dela Cerna, June. (2024). Analyzing Gen Z's Travel Influence in the Digital Age: The Correlational Effect of Social Media. International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Analysis. 7. 10.47191/ijmra/v7-i10-01.

[27]. 27.Velaoras, K., Menegaki, A. N., Polyzos, S., & Gotzamani, K. (2025). The Role of Environmental Certification in the Hospitality Industry: Assessing Sustainability, Consumer Preferences, and the Economic Impact. Sustainability, 17(2), 650. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17020650

[28]. 28.Soltani, Ali & Young, Janette & Zhaohong, Sun. (2017). Exploring City Branding Strategies and Its Impacts on Local Tourism Success. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research. 23. 10.1080/10941665.2017.1410195.

[29]. 29.Rane, Nitin & Achari, Anand & Choudhary, Saurabh. (2023). Enhancing customer loyalty through quality of service: Effective strategies to improve customer satisfaction, experience, relationship, and engagement. International Research Journal of Modernization in Engineering Technology and Science. 5. 427-452. 10.56726/IRJMETS38104.

[30]. 30.Mendoza, M. J. A., Mercado, M. E. A., Pinca, M. L. L., Gamoso, R. A., & Barcenas, J. A. V. (2024). Factors Influencing the Gen Zer’s Behavior Towards Destination Experience Choice. In A. K. Othman, M. K. B. A. Rahman, S. Noranee, N. A. R. Demong, & A. Mat (Eds.), Industry-Academia Linkages for Business Sustainability, vol 133. European Proceedings of Social and Behavioural Sciences (pp. 1068-1094). European Publisher. https://doi.org/10.15405/epsbs.2024.05.86

[31]. 31.Xia, Z., Yunyang, L., Hanxiao, Z., & Linggang, K. (2025). Generation Z: The Challenge for Ancient City Tourism. The Historic Environment: Policy & Practice, 16(2), 261–288. https://doi.org/10.1080/17567505.2025.2496559

[32]. 32.Chourasia, Bhola. (2024). "The Influence of Emerging Social Media Trends on the Evolution of the Travel and Hospitality Industry". Educational Administration Theory and Practice journal. 30. 1110-1116. 10.53555/kuey.v30i7.7069.

[33]. 33.Lobo, Tea. (2023). Selfie and World: On Instagrammable Places and Technologies for Capturing Them. Journal of Human-Technology Relations. 1. 10.59490/jhtr.2023.1.7011.

[34]. 34.Theocharis, D., & Tsekouropoulos, G. (2025). Sustainable Consumption and Branding for Gen Z: How Brand Dimensions Influence Consumer Behavior and Adoption of Newly Launched Technological Products. Sustainability, 17(9), 4124. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17094124

[35]. 35.Bunea, O.-I., Corboș, R.-A., Mișu, S. I., Triculescu, M., & Trifu, A. (2024). The Next-Generation Shopper: A Study of Generation-Z Perceptions of AI in Online Shopping. Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research, 19(4), 2605-2629. https://doi.org/10.3390/jtaer19040125

[36]. 36.Mishra, Amitabh & Krish, K.Kishan & Tewari, Veena. (2023). THE INFLUENCE OF ONLINE REVIEWS ON CONSUMER DECISION-MAKING IN THE HOTEL INDUSTRY. 38. 2559. 10.5281/zenodo.98549597.

[37]. 37.Mensah, J. (2019). Sustainable development: Meaning, history, principles, pillars, and implications for human action: Literature review. Cogent Social Sciences, 5(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/23311886.2019.1653531

[38]. 38.Kumar, R., Verma, A., Shome, A., Sinha, R., Sinha, S., Jha, P. K., Kumar, R., Kumar, P., Shubham, Das, S., Sharma, P., & Vara Prasad, P. V. (2021). Impacts of Plastic Pollution on Ecosystem Services, Sustainable Development Goals, and Need to Focus on Circular Economy and Policy Interventions. Sustainability, 13(17), 9963. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13179963

[39]. 39.Mc Keever, Maria & O'Rourke, Vicky & Diffley, Sarah. (2021). Generation Z an exploration of their unique values driving brand affinity.

[40]. 40.Dapi, Belinda. (2015). The impact of corporate social responsibility on brand loyalty. Journal of Governance and Regulation. 4. 10.22495/jgr_v4_i1_p1.

[41]. 41.Çalışkan, Caner. (2021). Sustainable tourism: Gen Z?. Journal of Multidisciplinary Academic Tourism. 6. 107-115. 10.31822/jomat.2021-6-2-107.

[42]. 42.Bariha, Pratik. (2021). Customer Loyalty Program and Retention Relationship. Psychology and Education Journal. 58. 5069-5074. 10.17762/pae.v58i1.2012.

[43]. 43.Wang, Weiming & Iahad, Noorminshah. (2025). Gen Z and Social Media: Shaping Tourism and Hospitality Behavior: A Thematic and Bibliometric Review. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences. 15. 10.6007/IJARBSS/v15-i6/25602.

[44]. 44.Rellon, Maricar. (2024). Language of emotions: Establishing connection with customers in tourism industries. Environment and Social Psychology. 9. 10.59429/esp.v9i10.3029.

[45]. 45.Ali, Adnan. (2024). Cultivating Connections: Exploring the Influence of User- Generated Content on Social and Consumer Brand Engagement. 10.5281/zenodo.10848785.

[46]. 46.Uludag, O., Andrlić, B., & Omoruyi, D. (2024). The Role of Green Consumer Brand Engagement in Shaping Brand Loyalty Through Digital Marketing in the Hotel Industry. Sustainability, 16(23), 10410. https://doi.org/10.3390/su162310410

[47]. 47.Voorveld, H. A. M., van Noort, G., Muntinga, D. G., & Bronner, F. (2018). Engagement with Social Media and Social Media Advertising: The Differentiating Role of Platform Type. Journal of Advertising, 47(1), 38–54. https://doi.org/10.1080/00913367.2017.1405754

[48]. 48.Lim, W. M. (2024). What Is Qualitative Research? An Overview and Guidelines. Australasian Marketing Journal, 33(2), 199-229. https://doi.org/10.1177/14413582241264619 (Original work published 2025)

[49]. 49.Chavez JV and Prado RTD (2023) Discourse analysis on online gender-based humor: Markers of normalization, tolerance, and lens of inequality. Forum for Linguistic Studies 5(1): 55–71. DOI: 10.18063/fls.v5i1.1530

[50]. 50.Morrone, D., Tarulli, A., Silvestri, R., & Santovito, S. (2024). Generation Z, tourism and hospitality: The legacy of COVID-19. British Food Journal, 126(1), 205–222.

[51]. 51.Abdurasul, R.T., Samilo, P.J.E., Cabiles, N.V.A., et al., 2025. Preservation Habits towards Sustainable Use of the Filipino Language. Forum for Linguistic Studies. 7(5): 358–372. DOI: https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v7i5.8573

[52]. 52.Cabiles NVA, Samilo PJE, Magallanes MSJS, et al. Qualitative exploration on the prevalence of swear words in MLBB among Filipino online players. Environment and Social Psychology 2025; 10(2): 3113. doi:10.59429/esp.v10i2.3113

[53]. 53.Chavez, J.V., Lamorinas, D.D., and Ceneciro, C.C. (2023). Message patterns of online gender-based humor, discriminatory practices, biases, stereotyping, and disempowering tools through discourse analysis. Forum for Linguistic Studies 2023; 5(2): 1535. http://doi.org/10.59400.fls.v5i2.1535.

[54]. 54.Chavez JV, Cuilan JT. (2024). Gender mainstreaming campaign as a casualty of the online gender-based humor: A discourse analysis. Environment and Social Psychology 2024; 9(2): 2044. doi: 10.54517/esp.v9i2.2044

[55]. 55.Chavez, J.V., Cuilan, J.T., Mannan, S.S., et al., 2024. Discourse Analysis on the Ethical Dilemmas on the Use of AI in Academic Settings from ICT, Science, and Language Instructors. Forum for Linguistic Studies. 6(5): 349–363. DOI: https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v6i5.6765

[56]. 56.Ivasciuc, Ioana & Candrea, Adina & Ispas, Ana. (2025). Exploring Tourism Experiences: The Vision of Generation Z Versus Artificial Intelligence. Administrative Sciences. 15. 186. 10.3390/admsci15050186.

[57]. 57.Tirocchi S. Generation Z, values, and media: from influencers to BeReal, between visibility and authenticity. Front Sociol. 2024 Jan 10;8:1304093. doi: 10.3389/fsoc.2023.1304093. PMID: 38274837; PMCID: PMC10809394.

[58]. 58.Kalliampakou, Ioanna & Antonopoulou, Hera. (2025). The Influence of Emotional Intelligence on Consumer Decision-Making: Insights from Recent Studies. Technium Social Sciences Journal. 67. 451-470. 10.47577/tssj.v67i1.11969.

[59]. 59.Jani, Ameya & Ratnoday, Naiya & Bajpai, Sharad & Sharma, Vikas. (2024). SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCE ON TRAVEL CHOICES.

[60]. 60.Băltescu, C. A., & Untaru, E.-N. (2025). Exploring the Characteristics and Extent of Travel Influencers’ Impact on Generation Z Tourist Decisions. Sustainability, 17(1), 66. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17010066

[61]. 61.Narayanan, Sajith. (2022). Does Generation Z value and reward corporate social responsibility practices?. Journal of Marketing Management. 38. 1-35. 10.1080/0267257X.2022.2070654.

[62]. 62.Sertori, Beatriz & Zanin Bagatini, Francine & Perin, Marcelo. (2023). GENERATION Z AND SUSTAINABLE CONSUMPTION: MOTIVATORS TO PURCHASE BEAUTY AND PERSONAL CARE PRODUCTS. Revista Gestão e Desenvolvimento. 20. 3-27. 10.25112/rgd.v20i1.3147.

[63]. 63.Kiatkawsin, K., & Han, H. (2017). Young travelers’ intention to behave pro-environmentally: Merging the value-belief-norm theory and the expectancy theory. Tourism Management, 59, 76–88.

[64]. 64.Han, H. (2021). Consumer behavior and environmental sustainability in tourism and hospitality: A review of theories, concepts, and latest research. Sustainable Consumer Behaviour and the Environment, 29(7), 1021–1042.

[65]. 65.Theocharis D, Tsekouropoulos G, Chatzigeorgiou C, Kokkinis G. Empirical Categorization of Factors Affecting Online Consumer Behavior of Gen Z Regarding Newly Launched Technological Products and Moderating Impact of Perceived Risk. Behav Sci (Basel). 2025 Mar 15;15(3):371. doi: 10.3390/bs15030371. PMID: 40150266; PMCID: PMC11939291.

[66]. 66.Ateş, Alper & Sunar, Halil & Erdem, Bilal. (2024). The Role of Emotional Attachment in the Impact of Generation Z's Trust in Digital Influencers on Unplanned Purchase Behavior. Galactica Media: Journal of Media Studies. 6. 350-373. 10.46539/gmd.v6i4.499.



21 Woodlands Close #02-10, Primz Bizhub,Postal 737854, Singapore

Email:editorial_office@as-pub.com