Environmentally Conscious but Financially Constrained: Generation Z’s Travel Behavior and the Attitude-Behavior Gap
Holopainen, Roope (2026)
2026
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-202604176834
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-202604176834
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Climate change is one of the most pressing global challenges right now, and the tourism industry is a significant contributor accounting for 6.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions. As the newest generation of travelers enter the market, understanding how Generation Z’s environmental values shape their travel decisions becomes increasingly important. Generation Z, defined as individuals born between 1995-2012 is often considered by many studies to be very environmentally conscious in their behavior, while some studies suggests otherwise. This thesis examines how environmentally conscious Generation Z is and how it translates into actual travel practices and behaviors.
Environmental consciousness refers to an individual’s awareness of and willingness to engage in pro-environmental behavior. Programs such as carbon offsetting allows travelers to compensate for their emissions by investing in carbon reduction projects, and sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) are non-fossil alternative fuels that can reduce aviation emissions by up to 80% when compared to conventional jet fuel.
The theoretical framework in the thesis covers climate change and its relationship to tourism, environmental consciousness, perceived consumer effectiveness, carbon offsetting and sustainable aviation fuels and Generation Z as a traveler segment. The study uses a quantitative approach using an online survey distributed through Webropol to Generation Z respondents in Finland. The survey collected 112 responses, and four hypotheses were tested against the data.
The central finding is an attitude-behavior gap, where 70% of respondents identified as environmentally conscious. The study shows that this did not translate consistently into purchasing behavior. Only 22% had ever paid to offset their travel emissions, and willingness to pay for SAF and carbon offsetting concentrated in the lowest price brackets. Financial constraints emerged as the primary moderating factor across all purchasing related findings. Female respondents scored higher than male respondents on every environmental value that was measured. The study also identified a distinction between awareness and understanding of sustainability tools such as SAF and carbon offsetting, where familiarity with these concepts did not translate into confidence about their effectiveness. Social media did not negatively impact sustainable travel choices, though eco-friendly content remains underrepresented in the feeds respondents use for travel inspiration.
The findings suggest that Generation Z’s environmental consciousness is real but conditional, which is constrained by financial limitations, limited understanding of available sustainability tools and the absence of environmental content in digital spaces where travel decisions are shaped.
Environmental consciousness refers to an individual’s awareness of and willingness to engage in pro-environmental behavior. Programs such as carbon offsetting allows travelers to compensate for their emissions by investing in carbon reduction projects, and sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) are non-fossil alternative fuels that can reduce aviation emissions by up to 80% when compared to conventional jet fuel.
The theoretical framework in the thesis covers climate change and its relationship to tourism, environmental consciousness, perceived consumer effectiveness, carbon offsetting and sustainable aviation fuels and Generation Z as a traveler segment. The study uses a quantitative approach using an online survey distributed through Webropol to Generation Z respondents in Finland. The survey collected 112 responses, and four hypotheses were tested against the data.
The central finding is an attitude-behavior gap, where 70% of respondents identified as environmentally conscious. The study shows that this did not translate consistently into purchasing behavior. Only 22% had ever paid to offset their travel emissions, and willingness to pay for SAF and carbon offsetting concentrated in the lowest price brackets. Financial constraints emerged as the primary moderating factor across all purchasing related findings. Female respondents scored higher than male respondents on every environmental value that was measured. The study also identified a distinction between awareness and understanding of sustainability tools such as SAF and carbon offsetting, where familiarity with these concepts did not translate into confidence about their effectiveness. Social media did not negatively impact sustainable travel choices, though eco-friendly content remains underrepresented in the feeds respondents use for travel inspiration.
The findings suggest that Generation Z’s environmental consciousness is real but conditional, which is constrained by financial limitations, limited understanding of available sustainability tools and the absence of environmental content in digital spaces where travel decisions are shaped.