From Scroll to Stroll: The Role of FOMO and Climate Advocacy in Shaping Gen Z’s Travel Intentions for Sustainable Tourism Destination

Abstract

The rapid growth of social media has transformed how travel inspiration and destination choices are formed, particularly among digital-native generations. For Generation Z, online travel content not only correlates with curiosity but also evokes emotional responses such as the Fear of Missing Out (FOMO), influencing their travel-related decision-making. This study aims to investigate how shared traveler experiences on social media influence Travel FOMO among Gen Z tourists and how this emotional trigger shapes their intention to visit destinations and support sustainable tourism, with climate advocacy as a moderating factor. A quantitative survey of 600 Gen Z tourists across North Sumatra, Indonesia, was conducted from early June to August 2025 and analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling with Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS). The results reveal that shared traveler experiences significantly increase Travel FOMO (β = 0.676, p < 0.001), which positively affects both tourist visit intention (β = 0.178) and perceptions of sustainable tourism destinations (β = 0.376). The model demonstrates substantial explanatory power (R²= 0.523) and good fit (SRMR = 0.070). These findings highlight that emotionally engaging and sustainability-oriented digital experiences can effectively foster responsible travel behavior among Gen Z and strengthen engagement with sustainable tourism development.