Taiwan’s Gen-Z travelers heavily influenced by film, TV, social media: survey

TAIPEI, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) — A survey by travel platform Booking.com reveals that Taiwan’s Generation-Z travelers, born between 1997 and 2012, favor solo trips and are significantly influenced by movies, TV shows and social media when choosing their travel destinations.
According to the survey published on Sunday, 71 percent of young respondents in Taiwan choose travel destinations based on locations featured in their favorite films and TV shows, eager to “check in” at these iconic spots and experience the same restaurants or hotels seen on screen.
Nearly 70 percent of respondents find travel inspiration through social media, whether from the travel experiences shared by friends and family or by gathering ideas from various platforms.
The survey also highlighted that young Taiwan people value “me time” during their travels. Nearly half of the respondents reported traveling solo in the past six months, and 71 percent plan to do so within the next year.
Furthermore, 60 percent of respondents prefer to avoid peak travel seasons. They also prioritize unique travel experiences beyond just visiting tourist attractions, such as hot air balloon rides or skydiving, according to the survey report.
Huang De-zhen, general manager of a Taiwan-based travel agency, told Xinhua that many young people who inquire about travel to the mainland are particularly interested in visiting iconic locations featured in mainland TV dramas, especially period dramas.
Many have become interested in certain places on the mainland after seeing tourism promotion videos and travel bloggers’ posts on social media platforms like TikTok and Xiaohongshu, Huang said.
At the 2024 Taipei Summer Travel Expo in July, the mainland-based Association for Tourism Exchange Across the Taiwan Straits launched a promotional project featuring the popular drama “To the Wonder” to market tourism to the picturesque northwestern Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, attracting many local inquiries. ■