The digital era has brought immense attention to the tourism industry through the pervasive influence of social media. Social media content profoundly shapes travel aspirations among the Chinese Generation Z, mainly through short videos. This study aims to unravel the intricate dynamics between short videos and Gen Z’s travel preferences, shedding light on their motivations, environmental consciousness, and adoption of sustainable tourism practices. Three regression models were applied in this study to shed light on this correlation. The initial model examines factors influencing the general travel intentions of Chinese Gen Z. The subsequent model delves into determinants affecting the adoption of responsible tourism practices among Gen Z. Then, the last model identifies factors contributing to tourism-related environmental awareness among this population. Through empirical analysis conducted via a structured questionnaire administered to 506 Chinese Gen Z individuals, this study’s findings confirm that well-crafted short videos significantly impact the travel intentions of Chinese youth, thereby fostering responsible tourism practices and increasing environmental consciousness. This highlights the pivotal role of argumentation quality and source credibility in shaping Gen Z’s travel intentions, underscoring the importance of credibility in promoting responsible tourism practices and environmental awareness. Furthermore, this study analysis reveals that females exhibit greater susceptibility to the influence of short video content on travel decisions than males. In conclusion, this study emphasizes the critical role of integrating short video content into marketing strategies within the tourism sector, particularly in the Gen Z demographic.

Given the growing significance of the metaverse in research, it is crucial to understand its scope, relevance in the tourism industry, and the human-computer interaction it involves. The emerging field of metaverse tourism has a noticeable research gap, limiting a comprehensive understanding of the concept. This article addresses this gap by conducting a hybrid systematic review, including a variable-oriented literature review, to assess the extent and scope of metaverse tourism. A scrutiny on Scopus identified a reduced number of relevant documents. The analysis exposes theoretical and empirical gaps, along with promising opportunities in the metaverse and tourism intersection. These insights contribute to shaping a contemporary research agenda, emphasizing metaverse tourism. While this study offers an overview of current research in metaverse tourism, it is essential to recognize that this field is still in its early stages, marked by the convergence of technology and transformations in tourism. This exploration underscores the challenges and opportunities arising from the evolving narrative of metaverse tourism.