Young people are swapping pre-flight pints for matcha at the airport, a new study from the UK’s largest airport group has revealed.
Far from the stereotype of downing beers with an all-day breakfast, new research suggests that members of Gen Z (born between 1997 and 2012) prefer a quieter start to their travels.
The Manchester Airport Group (MAG), which owns Manchester, London Stansted and East Midlands airports, revealed that all three saw sales of matcha increase by 165 per cent year on year.
Packed with 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 seen being consumed by wellness influencers.
The biggest increase in matcha sales was seen at London Stansted, with a 174 per cent year-on-year growth, followed by Manchester with a 144 per cent rise.
That includes sales at outlets like Pasta Evangelists and Pret a Manger at Manchester and Caffe Nero, Itsu and Krispy Kreme at London Stansted.
Similarly, there was a collective growth in sales of more than 650 per cent year on year for smoothies.
Smoothies are often one of the more expensive soft drinks to buy, so MAG predicts that Gen Z travellers are being budget-savvy with their smoothie purchases by adding them to meal deals.
The airport group also revealed other Gen Z trends which are influencing travellers.
European city breaks are topping the charts for the age group, overtaking the “18-30s” package holiday that was once favoured by previous generations.
Known as “digital natives”, young people are also increasingly using AI as a virtual travel agent to help plan out their holiday.
A recent social media poll showed that one in four of MAG’s passengers under the age of 25 said they have or intend to use AI to plan their trips.
MAG is not the only one to spot this trend, as the travel body Abta revealed in October that the proportion of people using AI to gather travel inspiration has doubled, with those aged 25-34 being the most likely to use the tool to help in travel planning.
Back at the airport, MAG said that Gen Z trends are also shaping what is being bought before heading to the gate, with the viral Stanley Cup sold at JD Sports flying off the shelves.
Hopping on the “skincare in the sky” trend, which has seen young people carry out their moisturising routine while they are on a flight, sales of face masks at Boots and World Duty Free have increased by 399 per cent year-on-year.
Andrew MacMillan, MAG Chief Strategy Officer, says that consumer trends have a significant impact on the travel industry.
“This data shows the influence of our younger passengers – Generation Z – who are curating airport experiences strongly influenced by AI and social media,” he said.
“It is clear these travellers both want to follow trends and set them and, with one in five UK air passengers using our airports, we are pleased to be able to provide the backdrop for that.”
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