Geojournal of Tourism and Geosites | 2026
Authors: Šenková A.; Kormaníková E.; Kolesárová S.; Šambronská K.; Kováč F.
DOI: 10.30892/gtg.64130-1681
Journal: Geojournal of Tourism and Geosites
Year: 2026
Publisher: Editura Universitatii din Oradea
Document Type: Article
Open Access: All Open Access; Gold Open Access
Cited by: 0
The aim of this paper is to investigate and compare the preferences of Generations Y and Z in sustainable tourism products, services and forms of tourism on a selected sample of respondents. A questionnaire survey was used to collect data on the respondents' attitudes about their preferences for sustainable products, services or forms of tourism, in which 224 respondents participated. To meet the objective of the paper, we formulated 2 research questions, which were validated through selected tests of correlation analysis and inductive statistics in R. The analysis highlights the complexity of perceptions of sustainability in the context of tourism, with particular attention to generational differences between groups Y and Z. While both generations are interested in environmentally responsible forms of travel, their motivations, expectations and attitudes differ significantly. These findings also highlight the need for a personalized approach in communication and the implementation of sustainable practices in tourism that consider not only ecological but also psychographic and generational specifics of target groups. At the same time, the ambiguous understanding of the term 'sustainability' is proving to be a significant barrier factor for both consumers and service providers. Without clearly defined standards that are trustworthy, communicated comprehensibly, and accessible to the public, there is space for information distortion, distrust, and so-called greenwashing. From both theoretical and practical perspectives, it is therefore essential not only to better understand the value and behavioral patterns of individual generations, but especially to create conditions for a more systematic and understandable communication of sustainability. Future research should focus particularly on finding ways to unify sustainability standards in tourism while effectively responding to the specifics of individual target groups. © 2026, Editura Universitatii din Oradea. All rights reserved.
generation Y; generation Z; preferences; sustainable products and services