Generation Z is defined as the demographic that follows the generation that has been names Millennials. Experts have described this group to have been born in the mid to late 1990s, and having an affinity for technology and social media. Research suggests that Gen Z has been influenced by events like the September 11th terrorist attacks and the Great Recession of the 2010s that have fostered feelings of insecurity.
 
While companies are just reaching an understanding of how the Millennial is changing the landscape, Gen Z is emerging as another challenge.
 
First Gen Z is using the same platforms like Millennials but in a different way. Gen Z spends nearly if not all of its time consuming media from a smartphone. Additionally, this group of consumers values experiences over products.
 
Gen Z desires to mold our culture. With their social media prowess and their capabilities as innovative content producers, they already have begun to change the consumer space.
 
With all of these implications, the travel industry is experiencing a new wave of trends as a result of Gen Zers.
 
Gen Z already relies on the power of social media, so, naturally, it has impacted where they wish to travel. In the past few years, the destination’s “instagramability” has been drawing young travelers to visit. Using top travel hashtags and by following influencers, Gen Z is on the hunt to find the most enviable spot.
 
Additionally, Gen Z appreciates a travel deal. Research suggests while a good portion of Gen Z still travels with their parents, most work to fund their trips. This group likes to feel the satisfaction of knowing they are getting a good bargain and won’t have to sacrifice their cash for a vacation.
 
Other travel trends popping up for Gen Zer is the importance of wireless. Being already so connecting it’s important to this generation to never lose that. They also value sustainable travel and are willing to support local businesses and appreciate opportunities for voluntourism.
 
Gen Z wants to trip of a lifetime and they want it now. This drives this generation to seek authentic and personal experiences. They want a bucket list trip.
 
Let Guardian Music and Group Travel create your very own customized trip with all your needs in mind that crosses a destination off your bucket list.

​With less than three months till 2019 ends and a whole new decade begins, we’d like to look towards the future and mention the top destinations for next year!
 
At the top of Lonely Planet’s list is the lovely country of Bhutan. Known for being an environmentally friendly country next to the Himalayan mountains, this gem is nothing short of breath-taking. Also it has plans to become the first country to 100% farm organically.
 
Coming in second place for countries overall, there is England. With the expansive green hills and exciting city of London, England is a perfect spot with a little bit of everything to offer.
 
For cities alone, Salzburg, Austria was listed as the top destination for 2020. Next year it is the 100th anniversary of its world famous festival of music and drama. It is also known for being the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, its opera and theater scene, and its Baroque architecture.
 
Next, coming in second place, we have Washington D.C. known for being the capital of the United States and for being an epicenter of American history with more museums and galleries to suit every kind of traveler.
 
For the wallet-conscious, Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia, Budapest, Hungary and Madhya, India were ranked for their value.
 
If you’re interested in the full list and more information their book “Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2020,” which goes on sale tomorrow, Oct. 23 for $17.99.

Real ID is popping up more and more and it is because the deadline to have one is fast approaching.
 
For those who need a short refresher on this topic, in an attempt to cut down on domestic terrorism and security threats post 9/11, Congress enacted Real ID Act in 2005. This federal law deals with the security, authentication, and issuing of standards for identity licenses and documents. Essentially, this elevated ID technology is more difficult to fake.
 
The Real ID law intensified the standards for identity cards accepted at the federal government level for boarding commercially operated airline flights, entering an official federal building and nuclear power plants.
 
In addition to other aspects of the Real ID law, the most pertinent to the travel industry is the portion regarding the Real ID-compliant form of identification for domestic air travel. What this means traveling is by October 1, 2020, you will need a Real ID to fly domestically.
 
To find out if your driver’s license is a Real ID, it must have a black or gold star on it. If you live in Hawaii, Tennessee, Ohio or Utah, you will have to check with your state government.
 
To complicate things, some states are issuing driver’s licenses that are a form of Real ID but will not pass for a Real ID for air travel.
 
It is best to check if you’re not certain if your ID is a Real ID. Otherwise, this could prevent you from boarding a flight after the deadline.
 
To learn more information see: https://www.dhs.gov/real-id and https://www.dhs.gov/real-id-frequently-asked-questions
​

September 27th marks a special day in the tourism industry. It is World Tourism Day, which was created by the United Nations World Tourism Organization in 1980 in effort to raise awareness about global tourism.
 
#WorldTourismDay aims to educated the public on the role that tourism has throughout the world and emphasize how it impacts the social, political, economic and cultural values of communities and nations.
 
Each year has a specific theme that is relevant to the tourism and travel industry. Back in 1980, the theme was “Tourism’s contribution to the preservation of cultural heritage and to peace and mutual understanding.” In 2017, it was “Sustainable Tourism – a tool for development” and in 2018 it was, “TOURISM AND CULTURAL PROTECTION.”
 
With the tourism industry generating 10% of all jobs globally, and the industry overall working towards more sustainable goals, the theme for this year is ‘Tourism and Jobs: a better future for all.”
 
New Delhi, India has been chosen as the host city for #WorldTourismDay because it is one of the oldest cities in one of the oldest countries spanning centuries and empires. New Delhi is home to some of the most diverse and culturally rich communities and their tourism in India reflects this perfectly.

Link to previous post: ​https://www.gmgtravel.com/blog/2019-unesco-heritage-site-nominations
 
Eight of Frank Lloyd Wright’s architectural sites have been added to the UNESCO World Heritage site. These new additions join the ranks of China’s Forbidden City, the Palace at Versailles in France, Machu Picchu and Vatican City.
 
Wright’s architecture signifies the first inclusion of modern architecture to the protected sites. His Fallingwater house in Pennsylvania, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, and the Frederick C. Robie House of Chicago are just a few to be mentioned. His work is famous for its use of ‘organic architecture.’
 
The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation said the nomination process for this collection took 15 years. And according to UNESCO, the sites must fulfill one of ten requirements such as a masterpiece of human creative genius, bear testimony to a civilization which is living or has disappeared, represent earth’s major history or contain habitats that are conserved for biological diversity, among others specified. ​

​It’s nothing new to hear that a little time away from the office is good for everyone. But when it comes to one’s ability to unplug on vacation, a new study claims that the more you make, the harder it is for you to truly be out of the office.
 
With a smartphone in everyone’s pocket, it’s no surprise that 59 percent of employees check their phone, make calls or answer emails at least once a day on vacation.
 
The chances of work interfering with your time off increases with your salary. Those who make under $25,000 annually never work on vacation while individuals who make between $180,000 t0 $200,000 are the biggest offenders. 47 percent of this category of people engage in work activities up to 5 times a day.
 
This ever-constant feeling that one needs to work, even on vacation can be attributed to the work martyr syndrome. It significantly impacts your ability to truly get away and reset from work, thus feeding into more feelings of burnout. And with the advances in technology, it can be even easier to tell yourself “just one email, just one phone call” before it becomes working remotely instead of unplugging.
 
To prevent this, enable the vacation responder on your work email and set that to automatically reply to emails for the duration of your vacation. The email will be in your inbox when you come home. We also recommend informing your business associate of your time away and strictly unavailable, to prevent work phone calls.

​The Forbidden City, The Great Smoky Mountains, The Sydney Opera House, The Taj Mahal and Versailles are some of the world’s most visited UNESCO Heritage Sites. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s aim is to “build the defenses of peace in the minds of men and women.”
 
In addition to helping to facilitate collaboration and cooperation between countries the UNESCO organization determines World Heritage Sites. These sites are deemed important, unique, educational and beautiful and are protected from being destroyed by receiving the honor.
 
This week a special committee is looking into adding more sites to the UNESCO World Heritage Site list. The contenders include sites like a bird-filled estuary in China’s Yalu River, Frank Lloyd Wright’s 20th-century architecture, Alpine road in Austria, Vatnajökull National Park in Iceland and Jaipur city in India among others.
 
In order to be added to the World Heritage Site list, the sites must pass a series of evaluations where experts evaluate the destinations and report on their preservation.
 
If accepted, the UNESCO stamp of approval will most definitely help increase the valuable tourism dollars for the sites. If denied, the sites can still be nominated in subsequent years and go through the process again.
 
To see the complete list of World Heritage Site click here.

​Friends of the Earth (FOE) an environmental organization gave out A-F letter grades reports in their 2019 Cruise Ship Report Card to cruise ships.
 
The organization explains that cruises “can be more harmful to the environment and human health than other forms of travel.”
 
They evaluated 16 major cruise lines and 185 ships on four criteria sections like sewage, air pollution reduction, water quality compliance, transparency, and criminal violations.
 
Most notable Disney Cruise Line was rated with an A- while others like Norwegian being graded with a C-. However, the rest of the cruise lines had overall grades of Ds and Fs.
 
Many of the cruise liners included in the report expressed frustration with FOE and the qualifications to publish the report and level of scientific research.

With the Grand Canyon National Park turning 100 in 2019, they have a lot to celebrate. But the festivities shouldn’t just applaud the age of the park.
 
It is now certified as an International Dark Sky Park.
 
Now the Grand Canyon is joining the ranks of 60 other esteemed parks and reserves that are Dark Sky Parks. It is now one of 9 other U.S. National Parks to qualify out of the 61 total U.S. National Parks.
 
Efforts to attain this achievement began in 2016. The Grand Canyon National Park was outfitted with thousands of exterior lights to reduce the light pollution as more and more of the nights are being polluted by lights.

A recent report from the World Health Organization has linked a spike in measles cases in 2017 and connected it to “gaps in vaccination coverage.” This trend has continued into 2018 and 2019.
 
Recently, there have been an increase in reported cases in the Americas, Eastern Mediterranean, and in Europe. Most notably there have been outbreaks in Brazil and India and smaller flares in France, Italy and Israel.
 
Measles is preventable. Through two doses of the vaccine, protection is at 97%, with one dose giving 93% protection. It is very highly recommended that you are fully vaccinated two weeks before any international travel.
 
The disease causes abut 110,000 deaths every year and is very serious and contagious. It can have debilitating or life-threatening complications like encephalitis, pneumonia, permanent vision loss and more.
 
For more information on the MMR vaccine that prevents measles click here.