New research reveals Gen Z are guilty of using fake check-ins, recycled photos and strategic editing to fabricate luxurious online travel personas, with some even going into debt for Instagram-worthy trips. Olivia Palamountain reports

More than six in ten Gen Z travellers have posted misleading content about their holiday destinations on social media, according to new research.

A survey of more than 1,000 UK adults aged between 25 and 35 by holiday home insurer Schofields Insurance has revealed the extent to which young people are fabricating their travel experiences online: a staggering 61% of respondents admitting to having lied about their holidays on social media platforms.

As social media platforms continue to evolve and prioritise visual content, this trend shows no signs of slowing down. The rise of TikTok and Instagram Reels has intensified the pressure to create increasingly dramatic and exotic content.

The research shows that 38% have checked into fake locations on Facebook to appear more exotic, whilst 29% have used old photos from different trips to enhance their current holiday posts. Nearly half (45%) admit to feeling pressure to make their holidays appear more luxurious than they actually are.

Weekend breaks to European cities emerged as the most commonly falsified holidays, with 67% of respondents admitting to making their Prague, Barcelona or Amsterdam weekend trips appear more glamorous than reality.

Common tactics include posting photos from luxury hotel lobbies whilst staying in budget hostels, checking into expensive restaurants for photos without actually dining there, and using strategic angles to hide less photogenic surroundings.

Perhaps most concerning, some respondents admitted they would rather go into debt than post about a budget holiday, with many taking out credit cards or loans specifically to fund social media-worthy trips.

Phil Schofield from Schofields Insurance comments: "It's fascinating to see how social media continues to shape the way people travel. What's particularly interesting is how this trend has evolved since our 2017 research, when Millennials were choosing destinations based on how 'Instagrammable' they were. Gen Z has taken it further, they're not just picking photogenic spots, they're actually faking where they've been. For holiday home owners, this shift means guest satisfaction isn't just about the real experience anymore, it's about how well that experience performs on social media."