How are Gen Zs affording luxury trips? For some, it’s all a facade
Jon Morgan, the founding partner of Venture Smarter, a business consulting company, was guiding a gene entrepreneur when he noticed something strange that he described life and online.
23-year-old Mentee spent a luxurious travel personality for 1½ years-claiming that he had a $ 500,000 lifestyle in a year. In fact, he said that annual expenditures were close to $ 12,000.
“He would make $ 200 transitions in private beach clubs in Miami [and] Morgan told CNBC Travel.
Later, he would publish photos for eight weeks to give the impression that he was often staying in luxury holiday villages.
For some, sending double travel photos not only carefully, but attempting to earn money.
Klaus Vedfelt | DigitalVision | Getty Images
That wasn’t all. Morgan, luxury hotels will chat with concerns and will offer them money in exchange for entering the hotel, he said.
“They would allow them to reach the roof pools and lobbies in Four Seasons Properties for 30 -minute photo sessions for $ 50 tips.” He said.
The illusion worked. Instagram account, apparently exaggerated lifestyle has grown to 85,000 followers, he said.
However, the aim was not just the effect, but also would come.
“He saw the fake luxury content as business investment and finally opened brand partnerships worth $ 180,000 a year.” He said.
The fabricated image on social media turned into a money -making machine.
Luxury financed by debt
Instead of documenting the whole journey, they only emphasize the moments of ‘Instagramable’.
MOHD Rizwan
Director in Travelosei
American Property Director Daniel Rivera said he lived with one of the tenants.
Rivera, 24 -year -old tenant, three weeks late for a monthly rent of $ 1,800, Miami’de 400 dollars of Airbnb leasing photos of the night.
“Then he admitted that he had only one night with six friends to take this luxury rental to shoot the perfect pool.” He said. “The photos made it look like a week of luxury.”
Rivera, Gen ZS’den housing applications often show the details of how they meet their lifestyle, he said.
“During the receipts, I noticed 30% more applications showing the latest personal credit investigations labeled as” holiday financing “in financial history.”
A yarn in Reddit asked how Gen ZS paid for frequent travel, especially in late young people and traveling at the beginning of their 20s.
A Reddit Post published in March 2025.
Source: cnbc
A user commented on the decisions of using debt to finance their holidays.
“Was it financially irresponsible? Yes. Most people told me that I was wasting my money and I had to save my money? Yes. Will I do it again? 1000%,” the user wrote. “You prioritize what you want in your life and you deal with the results.”
False framing
Other gene Zs use gaps to pay trips without explanation on social media.
Rivera talked about other tenants such as Montclair and Short Hills in wealthy neighborhoods in New Jersey. Although they are For a job there, the tenants took PHOTOS GIVING Im The impression they had there, dedi he said.
Mohd Rizwan, director of the new Delhi -based luxury travel company Travelosiosi, said that he has seen a change in how young generations frame their holidays online.
“Instead of documenting all the journey, they emphasize only ‘Instagramable’ moments that make travel look more exaggerated than it is.” He said.
