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Young people are swapping their pre-flight pints for matcha at airports, according to new research from the UK’s largest airport group.
New research shows that members of Generation Z (born between 1997 and 2012) depart from the stereotype of drinking beer with breakfast all day, preferring to start their travels in a quiet way.
Manchester Airports Group (MAG), which owns Manchester Airport, London Stansted Airport and East Midlands Airport Airportrevealed that the trio’s matcha sales increased by 165% year-on-year.
Rich in antioxidants and other nutrients, this bright green tea has been around for thousands of years, but has only recently become popular in the UK.
The drink is now synonymous with health trends on social media and is often consumed by health influencers.
London Stansted saw the largest increase in matcha sales, with a year-on-year increase of 174%, followed by Manchester, with a year-on-year increase of 144%.
These include sales in stores such as Pasta Evangelists and Pret a Manger in Manchester and Caffe Nero, Itsu and Krispy Kreme in Stansted, London.
Likewise, smoothie sales collectively grew more than 650% year over year.
Smoothies are typically one of the more expensive soft drinks, so MAG predicts Gen Z travelers will be smart about their smoothie purchases by adding them to meal deals.
The airport group also revealed other Gen Z trends affecting travelers.
European city breaks top all age groups, surpassing the “18-30” package holidays that were once favored by previous generations.
Young people, known as “digital natives”, are also increasingly using AI Act as a virtual travel agent to help them plan their vacation.
A recent social media poll revealed that a quarter of MAG passengers under 25 said they already use or intend to use artificial intelligence to plan their trip.
MAG isn’t the only company to spot this trend, with travel agency Abta revealing in October that using AI gathers travel inspiration That’s doubled, with those aged 25-34 most likely to use the tool to help make travel plans.
Back at the airport, MAG says Gen Z trends are also influencing pre-board purchases, with the viral Stanley Cup on JD Sports selling out quickly.
Following the “in-flight skin care” trend of young people moisturizing on airplanes, sales of masks from Boots and World Duty Free increased by 399% year-on-year.
MAG chief strategy officer Andrew MacMillan said consumer trends have a significant impact on the tourism industry.
“This data shows the influence of our younger passengers (Gen Z), who are curating airport experiences that are strongly influenced by artificial intelligence and social media,” he said.
“It’s clear these travelers want to follow trends and lead the way, with one in five British Airways passengers using our airports and we’re delighted to be able to provide the backdrop for this.”
Read more: Vacation rental giant says Gen Z wants hot tubs and cold showers on staycations