Jon Morgan, co-founder of business consulting firm, Venture Smarter, was mentoring a Gen Z entrepreneur when he noticed something strange about her life and the one she portrayed online.
His 23-year-old mentee had spent 1½ years crafting a luxury travel persona — one that suggested she was living a $500,000-a-year lifestyle, he said. In reality, her annual expenditure was closer to $12,000, he said.
“She would book $200 day passes at exclusive beach clubs in Miami [and] take 400 photos in six hours,” Morgan told CNBC Travel.
Then she would post the photos over a span of eight weeks to give the impression that she frequently stayed in luxury resorts.
For some, posting duplicitous travel photos is not just about attention, it’s a money-making venture.
Klaus Vedfelt | Digitalvision | Getty Images
That was not all. Morgan said she would strike up conversations with concierges at luxury hotels, offering them money in exchange for letting her into the hotel.
“For $50 tips, they would let her access rooftop pools and lobbies at Four Seasons properties for 30-minute photo sessions,” he said.
The illusion worked. Her Instagram account grew to 85,000 followers, who were drawn in by her seemingly extravagant lifestyle, he said.
But the goal was not just influence — it was income.
“She viewed her fake luxury content as business investment, eventually landing brand partnerships worth $180,000 annually,” said Morgan.
Her fabricated image on social media had morphed into a money-making machine.
Luxury funded by debt
Instead of documenting the whole trip, they highlight only the most ‘Instagrammable’ moments.
Mohd Rizwan
Director at Travelosei
American property manager Daniel Rivera said he experienced this with one of his tenants.
The 24-year-old tenant posted photos of a $400 per night Airbnb rental in Miami, despite being three weeks late on her $1,800 monthly rent, said Rivera.
“She later admitted she split that luxury rental with six friends for just one night to get the perfect poolside shots,” he said. “The photos made it look like a week-long luxury vacation.”
Rivera said the housing applications he received from Gen Zs often reveal details on how they afford their lifestyles.
“During tenant screenings, I’ve noticed 30% more applications showing recent personal loan inquiries, often labeled as “vacation funding” in their financial histories,” he said, adding that they often have high debt-to-income ratios and maxed-out credit cards.
A thread on Reddit asked how Gen Zs pay for their frequent travels, especially those who travel in their late teens and early 20s.
A Reddit post published in March 2025.
Source: CNBC
One user commented on their decision to use debt to fund their vacations.
“Was it financially irresponsible? Yes. Did most people tell me I was wasting my money and that I should be saving my money? Yes. Would I do it again? 1000%,” the user wrote. “You prioritize what you want in your life and deal with the consequences.”
False framing
Other Gen Zs use loopholes to pay for trips without disclosing them on social media.
Rivera mentioned other tenants who house-sit in wealthy neighborhoods in New Jersey, like Montclair and Short Hills. Though they were there for a job, the tenants took photographs which gave the impression that they lived there, he said.
Mohd Rizwan, a director at the New Delhi-based luxury travel company Travelosei, said he too has seen a shift in how younger generations frame their vacations online.
“Instead of documenting the whole trip, they highlight only the most ‘Instagrammable’ moments” which makes the trip seem more extravagant than it is,” he said.
