Redefining the digital contract: ethics, AI-personalisation and trust in generation Z's vision of tourism marketing

Understanding Generation Z's expectations for digital tourism marketing requires examining how young consumers evaluate brand authenticity, sustainability, and ethical responsibility in an increasingly technology-driven landscape. This study investigates the perceptions and expectations of 40 university students regarding the future of digital tourism marketing through a sequential three-round focus group design, enabling progressive deepening of collective sense-making across rounds of exploration, evaluation and prioritisation. The analysis reveals three foundational pillars shaping Gen Z's engagement with tourism brands: ethical communication grounded in authenticity and transparency, AI-driven personalisation, and user-generated content as a central trust mechanism. Notably, Gen Z consumers demand commitment from brands, preferring visual and dynamic communication formats while expressing concern about emerging risks such as greenwashing, data privacy violations, and the dehumanisation of service interactions. Rather than explaining why these trends occur, the study contributes a mechanism-focused account of how Gen Z collectively negotiates ethics, conditionally accepts AI-personalisation, and allocates trust within platform-mediated UGC ecosystems.