travel with social media

21 Travel Social Networks for Avid Travelers

Travelers have the ability to connect with other travelers through a wide variety of social media and social networking websites. While major social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter get most of the attention from the media, the travel industry includes sites that can be incredibly helpful and fun for those who want to connect with like-minded people.

Whether you want to share your photos and stories, meet up with someone while you’re traveling, connect with your friends, make new friends, or find reviews from other travelers, the travel social networks and tourism apps mentioned here will prove to be highly useful.

Tripadvisor

TripAdvisor exists to help travelers book the perfect trip or vacation by providing reviews from other travelers. You can search for hotel reviews, restaurant reviews, and you can compare and find deals on all kinds of travel.

It’s one of the best and most reliable resources for researching businesses and locations. You can read honest and unbiased reviews from other travels, view their photos, get suggestions, and more. And of course, you can also participate by leaving reviews and helping others with their trip research and travel planning.

Matador is an online community of travelers, photographers, and adventurers. At Matador you can share your own experiences, get tips and meet other travelers with similar interests. There is a wealth of information on this social media site, including guides to destinations, a podcast, and more.

Trippy is an incredibly useful road trip planner that allows you to tap into the knowledge and insight of others in the community. Ask questions, get answers, and find the best places to stop on your own road trip vacation.

To use Trippy, you’ll simply enter your starting point and your travel destination, and it will quickly provide you with a suggested itinerary. It will provide you with all the suggested stops along the way, with suggestions from other users. Thanks to Trippy, you’ll never miss interesting places without knowing about them. It’s easily one of the best social media resources for planning a road trip.

Off Exploring

Off Exploring allows you to create your own free travel blog to share photos and content from your journey or vacation. Of course, you can share your blog with friends and family so they stay updated with your travel, or simply connect with others using the social platform.

If you like to experience travel destinations like a local rather than a tourist, you’ll love Showaround. It’s a travel social network that allows you to connect with tours by locals. You can get a more genuine and authentic experience anywhere in the world, thanks to the help of someone who lives there. No need for a travel agent!

Some tours are free and others come with a cost. You can read reviews from other travelers and learn all the details before deciding on a tour.

Of course, you can also offer tours to people who are visiting your hometown on vacation.

GAFFL (Get a Friend for Life) is a travel brand and one of the best social media networks for connecting with people in cities around the world. You can select a destination you’re traveling to, find other users who are planning trips to that location and connect. You can meet up at the destination or plan your trip and travel together to save on costs.

Backpackr is a mobile social network for connecting with others who are part of this backpacking community. Add your trip details, meet up with other users who are in the same area, and find details about the places you’re visiting. As a traveler, you can also find special deals and discounts at pubs, hostels, and more. They also list free events so you can have fun without spending money.

Steller is a social media mobile app for telling your travel stories. It includes some features that are similar to Instagram, but it’s specifically designed for travelers. You can find cool places and things to do, curate your own adventures, and connect with other travelers. Overall, Steller is one of the most popular travel apps and definitely worth checking out.

CouchSurfing

CouchSurfing is a worldwide network for making connections between travelers and the local communities they visit. You can create an account and find hosts in other locations where you will be traveling, or you can host other travelers.

Travellerspoint

Travellerspoint is an online community that provides blogs, photos, forums, and tourism and travel guides. You can create an account and share your own experiences with others, or browse through the information provided by other travelers.

FlyerTalk is a community for frequent flyers. There is a forum for communicating with other frequent flyers, and information on travel-related loyalty reward programs. You can also find news headlines, information on airports, and more.

BeWelcome is a culture-crossing network that lets you share a place to sleep, meet up, and help others on their way. As a social network, BeWelcome focuses specifically on accommodations so you can find a place to stay or provide lodging for other users.

Withlocals is a great resource if you appreciate small, intimate tours rather than large group excursions or activities with a travel company. You can find tours and events led by individuals in their hometowns. Just enter the location you’ll be visiting and browse the tours and activities that are available.

If you’re interested in hosting tours in your local area, Withlocals can be a great way to make some extra money while showing visitors a great time.

Overall, Withlocals is an excellent resource within the travel industry.

TravelLibro specializes in visual travel journeys. Enter your destination and see visual journeys from others. It’s great for finding travel inspiration and things to do. Of course, you can also create your own visual journeys to share with others.

Travello ( Android , iOS ) is a popular and highly-rated social media mobile app for connecting with fellow travelers. It features a Facebook-style feed so you can see what others are up to and find inspiration. You can also learn about places to visit and get exclusive discounts on things to do.

MeetUp is a platform for connecting with people. It’s not exclusively about travel, but it certainly offers plenty of potential for travelers. You can view planned meetups in any location to find things to do wherever you’re going. If you enjoy connecting with new people and trying new things, you’ll love MeetUp.

Foursquare ( Android , iOS ) is a popular location-based social media network. It serves as a city guide you can use to research any location you’ll be visiting. You can see what other people are doing, find places to eat and things to do, make travel plans, and keep track of where you’ve been.

Spotted By Locals

Spotted By Locals ( Android , iOS ) provides city guides with expert insight from locals. The platform currently offers guides for 80 cities with more to be added in the future. You can find the best things to do with detailed guides, all provided by locals who want to share their insight.

Travel Buddy

Travel Buddy ( Android , iOS ) is a social media network exclusively for travelers. You can connect with people wherever you’re going, connect with people in your local area and plan a trip, research destinations, and more. It also includes a Facebook-like feed your stories and photos, or to see what other users are sharing.

Of course, Instagram is an incredibly popular mainstream social media network. While it’s not exclusively for travelers, it is a great resource for sharing photos, videos, and stories from your journeys. Since so many people are already on Instagram, it’s a great choice if you want to connect. You don’t need to be an influencer with millions of followers and lots of engagement to get a lot out of Instagram.

Pinterest is another mainstream social media platform that is ideal for travel. You can create your own boards for planning your trips, use Pinterest’s search engine to find things you might want to do, and pin the interesting ones from your board. Many people share photos and links to blog posts or articles from their journeys, so you can easily tap in to that collective wisdom by using Pinterest for planning your own trips.

Final Thoughts

Whether you’re planning a trip or vacation or looking to connect with other travelers, social media content can be incredibly helpful. The platforms and apps covered in this article are the best available options for connecting with like-minded people. Using the information you find from locals and travelers, you can avoid travel industry and tourism details like a travel agency and large group tours.

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The 7 Best Social Media Apps for Travelers

There are a number of social media apps designed specifically for travelers. Here are the best ones you should start using!

There's no better way to explore a new location than with advice from people who have lived or traveled there before. Social media apps are fast becoming the best way to connect travelers with these experienced insiders.

While existing social media apps may inspire jealousy in your followers, or enable you to share experiences with friends, they aren't designed for travelers. Thankfully, there are travel social media apps designed specifically for travelers, and these are the best.

1. Foursquare

Foursquare has been a mainstay of online travel planning for many years. The app offers an incredible number of functions, and allows you to search for nearby attractions based on the distance from your destination or current location, rating, or Foursquare's personalized estimate of your tastes.

The app also offers you the chance to follow travelers who have similar tastes to your own, read reviews from other travelers, and add your own insights to help fellow travelers in the future.

The ability to create and save your information in a profile means that your preferences, saved locations, and information will always be available to you, whether in the planning stages or in the middle of your trip.

Download: Foursquare for iOS | Android (Free)

Trover is one of the best apps available when looking for travel inspiration. The home screen presents you with many different feeds of beautiful images to view, including a feed of the most popular photos, a feed of the latest images, feeds specific to different locations, and feeds based on hashtags that have been assigned by users.

This app focuses more on the travel experiences of individual users and beautiful photographs than providing in-depth reviews or traveler tips. These functions make Trover ideal for conceptualizing a vacation you hope to take, but another app may be required to turn that trip into a reality.

Download: Trover for iOS | Android (Free)

3. Spotted by Locals

Spotted by Locals offers quirky sightseeing and activity ideas handpicked by real locals. When you have no idea what to do or where to eat, you can browse through a ton of helpful guides for over 70 cities. Since all of the suggestions are written by locals, you can expect to find some non-touristy, hole-in-the-wall destinations.

Just keep in mind that you can't access a full city guide or save spots unless you pay a fee for each guide. The offline version of the app is also only available if you pay. However, it may be worth it if you're looking for smart travel planning apps to put a unique spin on your trip.

Download: Spotted by Locals for iOS | Android (Free, in-app purchases available)

4. Withlocals

While Spotted by Locals helps you find destinations thanks to guides written by locals, Withlocals connects you with local tour guides. You can use this social travel app to find food tours, walking tours, day trips, night tours, and even bike tours.

When you select a tour you're interested in, you'll see a detailed description of the tour along with an itinerary. Scroll down the page to find reviews by other users, and tap Pick Your Local to view each guides' profile and book your tour. After all, there's really nothing better than receiving a tour from someone who knows their way around.

Download: Withlocals for iOS | Android (Free)

5. Couchsurfing

The Couchsurfing website and app have been well-used over the past several years by budget-conscious travelers looking for a free place to stay. While the app is entirely free, you can increase your chances of finding a host by paying a fee to verify yourself.

Even if crashing on a stranger's couch isn't your preferred style of accommodation, the app can still be a great resource for meeting new people around the world.

Every profile on the website features information about the Couchsurfing hosts, as well as their photo. If you find a host in the area you plan on traveling to, it's worth sending them a message to see if they'd be willing to meet during your travels.

Download: Couchsurfing for iOS | Android (Free)

6. Travello

Travello is a social media app for travelers and people interested in traveling. When you sign up, you'll see a feed filled with posts made by people traveling around the world. If you want, you can even connect with the other travelers on the app by commenting on their photos or by messaging them to ask questions.

You can also use Travello to find groups of like-minded travelers. Head to Explore > Groups to find groups such as Solo Travelers, Backpackers Asia, Digital Nomads, Female Travelers, and more.

Once you start traveling, you can start posting your own photos and keeping track of your trips. Make sure you know these key photography tips for beginners before you start posting pictures of the amazing sights you see.

Download: Travello for iOS | Android (Free)

7. TravelBuddy

If you're looking for a social media app for travel that doubles as a way to find a travel partner, TravelBuddy is for you. The home page presents you with a travel feed that will definitely inspire you to take a vacation. You can also opt to filter posts by location, which can help you find potential sightseeing spots.

To get in touch with a travel buddy, you can hit Find a Buddy on the home page. Simply enter your destination, choose a preferred gender for your buddy, and add your travel dates. TravelBuddy is also a great way to ask locals any questions about your travel destination.

Download: TravelBuddy for iOS | Android (Free)

Social Media Apps Can Improve Your Vacations

You should never be over reliant on technology while traveling. However, while you shouldn't be glued to your phone the entire trip, these social media apps for travelers can help make your trip better.

Having a few quality social travel apps at your fingertips can improve your experience, and help you find hidden gems throughout your travels. To explore even further, check out these travel apps to help you find unique tourist spots .

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How to set up a travel social media marketing strategy

Written by by Jenn Chen

Published on  December 17, 2019

Reading time  7 minutes

We’ve all seen the social posts: selfies from a beach vacation, airplane wings en route to a faraway destination and delicious meals in a different city. Through all the changes and growth that social media has experienced in the last decade, some things stay the same. Vacations are posted about in all of their stages: planning, sourcing recommendations and the trip itself. Social media plays an important role in all of this and travel companies should recognize it or risk stagnation.

Whether you’re a luggage company or a hotel, our tips should give you some ideas to test out on social. You’ll notice that a lot of the ideas are centered around content and that is because travel lends itself to a more visual audience. People want to see what the experience will be like and they need to see it often. Read on to find out how to take advantage of social media to get the message out about your travel or hospitality brand.

Basics: Set yourself up for success

If you’re starting your strategy from scratch or just looking to update your current one, taking a look at the resources available to you is always step one. You can’t manage four different social networks by yourself if you have a large and active audience. Responding to comments alone would take up a lot of your time. So what kind of resources are we talking about?

Staff is the most obvious one. How many people do you need for your company to successfully meet goals for sourcing and creating content, posting, managing comments and DMs and keep an eye out for complaints? Is your company large enough that you need a 24-hour watch on social media? Managing a single-location company is far more different than managing a multi-location one, especially if it spans multiple time zones.

The next basic resource to pay attention to is skill . This ties closely to staff because you want to make sure you have all the right skillsets to execute your strategy. And if you don’t, then you’ll need to be comfortable outsourcing. Social media managers tend to have a lot of different skills , including excellent communication and writing.

Third, get your budget in order. Ads are an important part of the travel industry. If you’re running flash deals on social media, ads are the way to go and you need to make sure you have the budget to promote them.

Lastly, document your strategy with goals . Without clear social media goals per network, your strategy will flounder. The best way to set these up is to evaluate your current audiences and see how they’re using each network. For example, if your customers like to use Twitter for direct customer service, set up goals on response time and a feedback loop of how well your responses are performing. Have a response plan in place for common questions and complaints.

Setup might take a while and you’ll go through several iterations in trial and error, but having a basic plan in place will save you wasted effort in the long run. Having a total picture of the resources available to you will help you know if you should be active on that additional social network or not.

Plan posts for each portion of the purchase cycle

For more expensive getaways and items, the purchase cycle will be longer. For travel brands, this means you’re playing the long game and need to make sure you have posts targeted for each stage.

At the beginning of 2019, Pinterest released their travel personas and trend report . It noted that “69% of Travel Pinners use Pinterest to discover travel services when deciding what to book.” The Pinners typically booked within two months of starting research and research included everything from what to bring to what to do.

Instead of directly promoting their services to customers, cruise company Carnival created a “Cruising Tips” Pinterest board for those still thinking about going on a cruise or have recently booked. The guides are a nice mix of what to expect when you go on a cruise to how to stick to your exercise routine.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a hotel or a travel backpack company. The principles of targeting consumers at each part of the purchase cycle remain the same. Don’t forget that you’re not done when they’ve made the purchase. You want to keep them constantly engaged and reminded of your product or service.

Understand different generations

Millennials and the younger Generation Z groups have more spending power now but to market to them, you’ll need to understand their social media use. An Expedia study of millennial and Gen Z travel behaviors found that they were heavily influenced by social media.

Eighty-four percent of Gen Z and 77% of millennials surveyed had been influenced by social media when planning their travel. More than 70% surveyed were open to help and inspiration during the planning process.

Both Gen Z and millennials named appealing imagery and deals as the two most informative pieces of social media content. Photos and videos maybe costly to create and produce but they will be worth it in the long run.

To ease the content sourcing pain, include user-generated content from past customers. This works particularly well for high-ticket purchases. Potential customers get to see what they’ll be buying through the lens of someone who’s already been. It establishes credibility to your brand so you’re not the only ones talking about you.

Walk into sophisticated spaces designed to expand the mind and spark new ways of thinking. / 🎥: @RonTimehin at @RdamMarriott pic.twitter.com/CIcsoioVx6 — Marriott Hotels (@Marriott) September 6, 2019

Marriott Hotels consistently uses user-generated content to promote its various hotel locations. They give glimpses into what it’s like to stay at a location. While some photos and videos on your account will be staged, you can bring in additional authenticity by reposting ones created by their guests.

Why your entire team needs access to social business intelligence

Respond to reviews

Reputation management is important in travel and this doesn’t mean only responding to complaints. According to a Harvard Business Review study with TripAdvisor, it found that once hotels started responding to reviews, they saw a drop in the amount of short negative reviews. Knowing that management was reading and responding to reviews made for more thoughtful posts.

In a 2019 study , TripAdvisor noted that 81% of respondents frequently rely on reviews before booking a hotel. Travel purchases represent a major investment of money, time and even the emotional expectations people place on anticipating a great vacation, so your audience depends on feedback from reviews and social media to figure out how to spend their money and effort. This is why staying engaged and responsive on both social networks and review sites is key to building a travel brand’s presence.

To make it easier on yourself, use Sprout’s new review management tool to respond to reviews on Google My Business, Facebook and TripAdvisor all in one place.

The next essential step is to create an online review management strategy . This involves coming up with tone, vocabulary and common scenarios that might need addressing.

Online reviews do influence consumer behaviors so it’s best to approach them like any compliment or complaint you might have in person. Be sure to respond in a timely manner, listen to what they’re saying, offer a resolution if you’re able to and e sure to avoid a defensive tone. Pretend that you’re being recorded and the video will be posted publicly for eternity–this will help you avoid lashing back at difficult customer feedback in the heat of the moment. Future customers will read your responses, so how you respond is important.

Divide & conquer

For multi-location businesses, it’s sometimes best to create separate accounts for your national and local brands. The national brands can amplify local messaging and connect with loyal brand advocates while the local brands can address in-the-moment customer service queries and promote their immediate area.

Following the lead of other large corporations, you may even set up a separate account to address customer service inquiries. All of this is up to your company and your available resources. For whichever circumstances you fall under, Sprout makes it easy for enterprise companies to post in a cohesive and collaborative manner. Divide your local branches up into groups but still give them access to your Sprout Asset Library .

Ace Hotel does a good job of creating a cohesive national brand presence while their local accounts focus on what’s happening in that location or city. Each local account also runs promotions to make following them more appealing to those who are thinking of booking.

The travel industry is large and encompasses many different types of companies. But whether you’re a single-location vacation rental or a multi-location global company, travelers still want to hear from you. Your best bet is to plan carefully and get creative. Take inspiration from other companies and be sure to invest in a strategy and professional imagery.

Idyllcove Vacation Cabin is a great example of one location doing their best at promotion. The shots posted are always on brand even when they’re user-generated content. To help potential visitors cement their decision, they created a highlight that tours the cabin. And the Guest Snaps highlight makes use of user-generated Story content.

Airbnb, on the other hand, is on the opposite end of the vacation rental spectrum. The company uses Instagram to highlight its many available places to book and what you can expect out of each one. In the above example, you can not only picture yourself there but you also get ideas on what you can do while you’re staying there.

Whatever your specialization is in the travel industry, the basic tenets are the same: get your basics down, respond to reviews in a timely and gentle manner and don’t forget the newer generation.

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Shopping cart items, 25 social media content ideas for travel.

On social media, the content you post is critical to engaging your audience and creating a solid fan base. Yet, many travel professionals struggle with knowing what to post. Whether you are wondering what to say on Twitter, Facebook, blogs or any other channel, here are some travel content ideas to help get the creative juices flowing:

I’ve said it many MANY times : travel is an experiential product and the best way to get people thinking about travel is to show them fun places to go and fun things they can do while they are there. If you can, share personal or client photos of destinations you want to sell. They don’t need to be professional shots and often work even better if you’re in the photo doing something silly! I’ve had many travel agents report that they sell at least one or two packages they wouldn’t have otherwise every time they post photos of a trip they took.

If you don’t have photos of your own,  Flickr  is a great spot to find amazing shots of every type of destination around the world. Do a quick search and link (don’t steal!) to particularly amazing photography that you think your audience would enjoy.

Videos are also a great way to inspire customers to travel and usually works even better than photos because of their interactive nature. Once again, you don’t always need a professionally shot video to attract attention. A home video of a particularly memorable moment, useful information (like the view of a new cruise ship cabin), fun activities or footage of a new resort will do the trick. Got a knack for humor or publicly humiliating yourself without worry? Great! Use it to your advantage when you create your videos. The funnier the better!For those who are a little camera shy, don’t despair!  YouTube  is a great resource for videos of all kinds.  With a little imagination you can search and find some pretty amazing clips.

3. Useful links

The latest traveler alerts, a list of recommended items to pack, articles about the hottest trends in travel – think about what would be useful for your readership to know and you’ve got some sharable content. This is your chance to show off your expertise as a travel professional and provide your potential customers with information that they may not find otherwise.

Not sure where to find this information? Blogs, news sites, and trade press have articles that can fit the bill. You can also use  Google Alerts  to monitor the web for articles on just about any topic.

4. Blog posts

This one should go without saying, but too many people don’t think about it. If you publish regular blog posts, PLEASE remember to post links to them on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc if you have accounts there. Most blog platforms will allow you to connect your blog to other social channels automatically if you have trouble remembering to post.

5. Destination fun facts

Everyone loves a good bit of trivia or little known facts! It’s entertaining, informative and can again help position you as an expert in your field. Many tourist boards and hotel properties have fun facts available through their marketing department. Just ask to see if they can help you out.  Otherwise, the web is always a good alternative!

Engage your audience by asking them questions about things like their favourite vacation spot, what type of perks they like to get from their agent, what makes their holiday a perfect one, etc. Get them talking to you AND use the opportunity to do a little behind-the-scenes market research to find out what you can do to win and keep their business.

7. Event announcements

Are you attending your local travel show or hosting a consumer evening? Let the world know where you will be and when! Invite your fan base to come see you.  You might be surprised by how many of them show up…and bring a friend!

8. Top 10 lists

Quick, useful and always a good way of giving quick recommendations on destinations to see, things to pack, attractions to visit and more. You can either compile your own top 10 or link to someone else’s. Bonus points if you create your own with photos or video!

9. Community work updates

People like to know that you care about your community.  If you or your team partake in community service or charitable work, share information like updates about your latest donation, photos of your team volunteering, or news about your favourite charity.

10. Contest announcements & updates

Contests are ALWAYS a popular thing. If you choose to run one, you can build anticipation and buzz by posting regular updates. Whether you talk about the prizes, highlight funny entries, countdown the days until the winner is announced or something else, you’re sure to get attention (and probably new followers/fans/readers) really quickly.

11. Travel updates

Here’s another great opportunity to showcase your expertise as a travel expert. Share updates about your favourite suppliers (new bathtubs in every cabin? Service upgrades at a resort? New designer bag with every purchase? Ok…maybe not the last one, but you get the point) or important travel updates about specific destinations (everything from new passport requirements to travel warnings).

12. Ship inspection information

If you are a cruise expert and visit ships while they are in port, by all means, share pictures and reviews with your fans.  They WANT to hear your expert advice to know which ships are worth sailing.

13. Fam trip reports

I know too many agencies who require these reports from staff and then stuff them in a folder where they will never be seen again. You are experiencing travel while on these Fam trips and NEED to share those experiences with your fan base. This can be in the shape of photos, videos or blog updates. It doesn’t really matter. Either way, tell them what you liked, didn’t like, recommend and find amazing. If you do a good job, you may get a booking or two out of the experience.

14. Client stories

Ever get an email from a client who tells you how GREAT their trip was or wants to let you know about something funny that happened? If so, ask for their permission to share it with everyone. It acts as a testimonial for you and can be entertaining all at once.

15. Answers to common questions

If there are travel questions you get regularly, use the opportunity to share the answer with a wider audience. It may even prompt your fan base to ask you more questions and start engaging. Again…show everyone that you know your stuff and the bookings will follow!

16. Opinions

If something is happening in the travel community and you have an opinion to share, you can use your social channel to do so.  However, I would caution you to think twice about being excessively controversial or political as it may turn some people away. Some controversy is ok, but too much can be hard to handle for some people.

17. Travel tips

These can be quick tips or longer blog posts about your recommendations. Just like the fun facts, top 10 lists, and other ideas listed here, they help position you are the expert that your are while being useful.

18. Behind-the-scenes updates

If your teams is planning an event or preparing something big, there is always interest in seeing you have fun behind-the-scenes.  Be creative here with photos, videos, stories and staff comments.

19. Favourite quotes

Inspiring travel quotes are fairly easy to find (Google to the rescue!) and quick to post. If you are out of inspiration for the day, a quick quote can keep the engagement going with minimal effort.

20. Staff picks

Get your whole team involved in recommending hotels, resorts, cruises, activities or whatever else you can think of. This can be really fun for everyone and helps showcase your agency as a whole.

21. Interviews

Think written or video interviews with people on your team, a destination representative, hotel partner, etc.

22. Funny Stories

Whether it’s a cartoon, a funny video, an anecdote or the joke of the week, humor always goes a long way!

23. Updates from the road

This is where you bring out your inner journalist.  If you have access to an internet connection or a smartphone while on the road travelling or attending events, you can provide live updates.  This works particularly well on Twitter or Facebook where updates can be quick and short. Blog posts take some thought, but you could still provide one update per day once you have a chance to slow down a bit in the evening.

24. Milestones

Did you just get a new specialist certification? Did your agency win an important award? Maybe you got featured in the local newspaper. It’s time to let everyone know so they can share in the joy and find out how fabulous you really are!

25. Travel deals

I saved this one for last because it seems like the most obvious choice, yet it’s not always the best one. Depending on your sales goals, you may not want to attract the bargain hunters looking for the best deal. I’ll leave it up to you to decide if deals are a good choice for you.

It’s not as hard as it may seem. Many of the ideas above are already available within your agency or on the web.  A simple Google search or using  Google Alerts  can help you stay in the loop and find interesting content quite easily and without gobbling up your precious time.

Now it’s your turn…

Have you had success with any of the ideas above? Or perhaps I’ve missed a few good ones that you’d like to share?

How Social Media Has Changed Travel

What kind of impact has social media had on the travel and tourism industry? Find out 14 ways social media has changed travel.

To say that we, as a global culture, are obsessed with our phones and scrolling through social media is a vast understatement. It’s a worldwide addiction that you need only lift your head and look around to verify. Social media has changed the way we shop, date, communicate, work… and social media has changed the way we travel! 

As an intrepid traveler, I’ve roamed the world with my husband for over 15 years. We’ve spent the last three of those years as full-time travel writers and videographers, and the change in the travel sector is glaringly obvious to me in my personal travels. Social media has changed travel in just about every way imaginable, or so it seems. But, what do the numbers say? Is it really what it appears? Let’s take a dive into all the ways social media has impacted the travel industry—the good, bad, and the ugly.

Wandering With Let’s Roam

It’s not just social media that has changed travel. Technology has no doubt impacted travel in some amazing ways, too! For instance, the Let’s Roam Scavenger Hunt App is loaded with historic scavenger hunts , urban art walks , bar crawls , and an innovative Local’s Guide to help you explore the world with ease. We have hunts in over 600 cities worldwide, and it’s all right at your fingertips. Discover something new today!

Social Media Impact on Travel

According to an article by Forbes Magazine , there are more than 300,000,000 posts just on Instagram that are hashtagged with the word “travel.” That breaks down to over 100,000 posts every single day for more than 8 years. That doesn’t even come close to the true amount when you take in those who don’t utilize hashtags or those who chose one of the thousands of other travel-related tags to use. Now, given that 4.76 billion people are social media users as of 2023, according to a new study by We Are Social and Hootsuite , that’s a whole lot of people looking at travel-related material. 

Millennials, or those who were pretty much born and raised with the ability to Google, are now the most populous group on the planet , and YPulse puts their spending power at 2.5 trillion dollars in a 2020 survey . Given that millennials also travel more than previous generations and that 97% of millennials use social media while traveling, the effects of social media platforms on the travel industry are no-brainers! Let’s take a look at a few specific ways that social media has changed the landscape of the travel industry.

Ways Social Media Has Changed Travel and Tourism

1. social media has increased general travel knowledge..

There’s no doubt about it; we now have the travel world at our fingertips. With Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok basically operating as image and video search engines, we can look up any place in the world and see it in detail in seconds. Plus, the more you look at travel, the more social media sites know that you like travel, and the more pictures and videos they flood your feed with… brilliant how that works!

With hundreds of thousands of travel influencers out there (plus regular folks sharing their vacations), the amount of information on specific destinations now on your everyday scroll is mind-blowing! According to a study done in Economics journa l, a whopping 91.35% of people surveyed were turned on to a travel destination by pictures or information they saw on social media. Long gone are the days of booking a vacation to your parent’s favorite spot or a place that is famous in your region. Now, travelers are privy to detailed information about faraway lands, complete with edited photos to lure them to wander. 

2. Social media has increased accessibility to travel.

With so many social media influencers, marketing ads, and budget-travel experts helping us out now, worldwide travel is much more accessible to most people. It still blows my mind how many older people in my life assume that travel is exorbitantly expensive or that they would never be able to see the world. I hear it all the time! Those in the age group that routinely uses social media know better. 

Budget tip websites, travel hacking blogs, and YouTube travel gurus have taught us how to see the world on a dime, and for that, I’m very grateful. On a personal note, I can attest that I spend approximately half the amount of money traveling the world full-time as I spent living in the United States. I am able to do this based partially on lessons learned from years of travel, but it’s also heavily based on the information that I glean from social media and the internet in general. 

3. Social media has helped change the travel demographic.

Until the Millennial generation and the rise of social media, big travel experiences were mostly reserved for special occasions—a yearly family vacation or honeymoon, for instance. Travel was seen as something you could do (hopefully) when you retired. That’s no longer the case. Millennials, who are currently right in the heart of their career and rearing families, are traveling more than any other generation. Gen Z isn’t far behind. We’re traveling as much during the busy years of our lives as Boomers are during their retirement. 

Research shows that while millennials do travel more, they are also more likely to travel for different reasons than just leisure. Bleisure travel, or the mix of business and leisure, has become a huge part of the tourism industry in recent years as more and more jobs go remote. Social media certainly helps fuel this phenomenon with countess profiles touting the perks of the digital nomad life and how to make money while traveling. 

4. Social media has increased travel FOMO.

Oh, FOMO, the fear of missing out… social media has created an envy and a desire to experience what we see on our screens for ourselves. We see our friends and family and all those influencers on some remote beach, enjoying a local film festival or trying exotic foods in a street market, and it causes many viewers to wish they were doing the same. This obviously doesn’t apply to everyone who sees the images. My own father and sister have zero desire to travel the world despite my career. They couldn’t care less. But for many, this knowledge that these amazing experiences are out there and that they are missing out on them is a primary driving force to travel.

5. Social media has created a false travel universe.

Speaking to that travel envy… is it really what it seems? The simple answer is no! A study by Alliance Global has shown that 36% of Millennials surveyed confessed to posting misleading and false information to glamorize a destination or trip. Why? Why would you deliberately mislead your followers? When asked, 65% of the deceivers stated that they did it to make friends and family envious. Fifty-one percent said they also do it to compete with other social media posters. The latter stat is probably the influencer crowd speaking. 

With TikTok and YouTube providing monetization to large accounts, there is a push to present the most eye-catching content, and that involves cropping out graffiti, editing the water color with Lightroom, only photographing certain aspects of a city or location, and, sometimes, outright lying about an experience. This especially goes if you’re representing a hotel or tourism board, which many influencers are being paid to do. According to stats provided by Stackla , social media users do say they make travel decisions based on user-generated content (UGC) far more than content by travel influencers. So, there’s an awareness that people are being paid to present this info, and people do take that into account. However, according to the numbers, your friends and family might be fudging the facts, too!

6. Social media has increased location targeting.

Social media has changed the locations that people travel to. Let’s take a look at the Riviera Maya in Mexico as an example. Cancun has been a top tourist destination for decades, and Playa del Carmen is popular with cruisers, but most people, until recent years, would not have heard of little Tulum. Now, you’ve undoubtedly seen scores of couples on bikes posing in front of the “Follow that dream” street sign or the Ven a La Luz sculpture outside Ahau Hotel.

According to Travel Pulse , Tulum received around 250,000 visitors in 2017. This was after being listed as an up-and-comer with TripAdvisor in 2016. In 2022, after those couple of spots became Instagram sensations, the Cancun Sun reports that Tulum has had years with more than 2 million visitors. That is quite a growth spurt! 

7. Social media has caused socioeconomic changes due to tourism.

While the uptake in tourism dollars certainly increases the overall GDP of popular destinations, it has also caused some difficulties. Now, social media is not the only reason there has been an increase in travel across the board, but it plays a huge part. Some of the negative effects we’ve seen from this include locals being driven from affordable housing so that Airbnbs can be created for tourists and the increase of poverty in popular tourist destinations. Many of the destinations that are hashtag-targeted blow up in popularity much faster than the local population and infrastructure can support.

Let’s take a look at Mexico again. There have been several online articles written about disputes and frustration within Mexico City. Locals are reportedly being evicted from their apartment complexes because owners are turning them into more profitable vacation rentals and homes for digital nomads. According to Euronews, the number of legal evictions increased by 27% from the year 2020 to 2021, and that doesn’t even include non-legal rental agreements. Tulum too has seen an uptake in poverty levels attributed to migrant workers coming in to build luxury hotels and vacation rentals. These workers are reportedly living in poverty in temporary (and illegal) squatter villages. According to the Cancun Sun , between the years of 2015-2020, at the height of its tourism surge, Tulum’s poverty rate almost doubled, the highest numbers recorded for the Yucatan region.

8. Social media has changed travel motivation.

Not only has social media contributed to more people traveling, but it has also changed the reasons why people travel. According to an article by Travel Pulse and statistics by Jet Cost , a survey of 4,000 Americans aged 22-37 stated that 21% admitted their primary reason for travel was to get snaps for their social media page. Sixty-one percent said they would not consider a vacation destination where they could not take and post pictures. That means approximately 1/5th of Millennial travelers are doing it for the Gram.

9. Social media has changed the travel planning process.

It’s a rare occasion these days that a perspective traveler busts out a traditional travel guidebook (although you should). Travelers use Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok as search engines, pulling up and following hashtags and accounts that specialize in their intended destination. We save posts that give pertinent information, create Instagram albums with all the specific attractions we want to see, and take notes from YouTube listicles. Before long, the whole trip is prepared in photo form, all logged on our smartphones.

According to YouGov’s 2022 Travel and Tourism Report , 39% of Gen Z tourists state that their primary source of information when planning a vacation is social media. Many more use it as a secondary source or for inspiration. This is an increase over previous generations, so it looks like the future of travel will rely even more heavily on the influence of UGC on social media. 

10. Social media has changed customer service.

Diana Trowbridge, vice president of marketing for Marriott, via an interview with Travel Pulse states that customer service is much more difficult than it used to be. Hotels must not only rely on the in-person experience, but they must provide a comprehensive social media profile, increasing their burden. 

Customer service agents must respond quickly to complaints submitted via Twitter, WhatsApp, or Facebook in order to avoid negative reviews that impact their future traveler’s perceptions. Hotels are increasingly responsible for not just shelter and a pleasant stay but a profile-pic-worthy, envy-inducing experience. It’s no longer good enough to be a great hotel; you must present as a great hotel. 

More Than Hotels

Hotels aren’t the only ones that must adapt. Tour companies, restaurants, and attractions that don’t utilize social media in a savvy way will likely struggle, at least with international travelers. Having a social media account is no longer enough, either. Social media strategists are constantly evolving, researching, and adapting their strategies to target the needs and interests of travelers. This might include featuring posts on your business’s environmental footprint, your ethics around animal tourism, and what you’re doing to be inclusive of all cultures and people groups. All of these aspects (and many more) and how they are presented to the public via social media affect the bottom line. 

11. Social media has decreased the element of surprise.

Since the rise of social media, it’s hard to travel to a destination that you haven’t seen before. As we’ve proved, most travelers are choosing destinations based on what they’ve seen online or on social media, and they’re researching these places thoroughly before making a decision to travel. Since there’s a known problem with influencer exaggeration and heavily doctored photos, smart travelers are digging for the truth, so by the time they actually visit the destination, they likely know much more about it than they would have if they had taken this trip 20 years ago. 

There’s a balance to traveling wisely—finding the best deals, experiences, and locations and having some sense of spontaneity. I often fight this battle myself. In essence, I’m a budget traveler and believe that I get more out of the experience when I’ve researched the culture, traditions, local restaurants, and authentic experiences. However, it’s always a balance between a detailed itinerary and leaving room for spontaneous day trips and evenings spent with new local friends. Sometimes, the amount of information I know about my destination takes away from the wanderlust and awe of stumbling upon the unknown. 

12. Social media has changed the actual travel experience.

I can speak to this one personally, and you probably can, too. When I first started traveling heavily, around 2009 or so, there were definitely places where you waited in line, and there were tourists with camera phones, but nothing like today. Recently, my husband and I took a road trip through Turkiye, and two specific spots were glaring examples of this change.

The number of photographers with giant angel wings ready and waiting to photograph young girls along the white limestone cliffs of the natural pools at Pamukkale was staggering! We sat in the blue water pools as TikTok influencers performed sexy dances around us, and women in flowing gowns and wings posed at our backs to get that perfect shot. 

From there, we visited Cappadocia, and as we soared over the incredible landscape in a hot air balloon, dozens of women and couples were shooting with local photographers below us. There are businesses that specialize in renting elaborate, flowy dresses and vintage cars just for these Instagram photoshoots. That is certainly something you would not have seen ten years ago. 

It’s quite common now to wait in long lines just to get that Insta-snap at places like Norway’s Trolltunga, the Ahau Hotel sculpture in Tulum, or sunrise pics at Angkor Wat. It’s common for us to be walking down a cobblestone street in Europe (probably vlogging) and catch a TikTok dance being filmed in front of us. In short, waiting and taking turns to get the shot is now an everyday part of travel in many parts of the world. 

13. Social media has created new travel industry jobs.

Social media has undoubtedly created a whole new arena of jobs, including digital marketing specialists working with hotels, professional UGC creators, and YouTube video makers. We aren’t just talking side hustles, either. Social media influencers are pulling in massive paydays. The most successful ones have retirement funds, investment portfolios, and multiple properties all funded by their lucrative social media contracts. 

Hotels, resorts, and tourism boards now have social media managers who work with the traditional marketing team to handle their public appearance. A realm of photography has developed that focuses solely on producing professional-looking staged photos for Airbnb properties. Tourism boards are hiring influencers to produce content that draws visitors to their cities. It’s a huge business. 

14. Social media has increased awareness of travel downfalls.

Social media has helped raise awareness of questionable aspects of the travel industry. Multiple accounts, for instance, have called out and shamed animal tourism businesses that do not treat their animals with care and love. Social media has assisted in massive beach cleanups in India and many other locations, organizing efforts for the masses who came out to help. Social media has shone a light on the sometimes unacceptable behavior of influencers as well. Whole accounts are dedicated to embarrassing travelers who treat the environment flippantly or are unsafe in their attempts to capture photos. While some of these accounts can be a bit harsh, hopefully in the long run, social media spotlights will lead to more culturally, environmentally, and socially responsible travelers. 

Keep Scrolling!

Whether you love it or hate it, there’s no doubt that social media has changed travel in just about every way possible. While some of the effects are certainly negative, social media has also opened up swaths of opportunities for whole new generations to travel the world their way. With the amount of information now at our fingertips, it’s possible for every kind of traveler to find the trip that suits them perfectly and aligns with their ethics, too.

Have you ever found your next vacation destination from a social media post? Let us know in the comments! 

Social media isn’t the only way to find a great trip! We happen to love providing you with amazing options via our travel blog. Our writers are avid travelers and experts in their crafts. Check out our travel section for tons of amazing trip ideas! 

Looking for a more meaningful way to travel? Take some cues from “ Travel With Purpose: Long-Term Volunteer Opportunities .”

Frequently Asked Questions

Social media impacts travel negatively by overrunning popular destinations that don’t have the infrastructure to support the masses and by presenting false information about destinations .

Yes! According to Economics Journal, 91.35 % of people say they have been inspired to travel because of a social media post . Now, the sky seems to be the limit when it comes to traveling.

With millennials traveling more than any other generation and 97% of them using social media , daily scrolling exposes millions of prospective travelers to inspiration each day.

Social media apps like Instagram are used for travel inspiration and planning . Google Maps and Translate are wonderful for directions and language, and Let’s Roam has amazing scavenger hunts!

Technology has positively impacted travel by increasing knowledge and accessibility . Travel apps provide inspiration, directions, language help, and local guides for food and attractions .

Featured Products & Activities

14 Best Travel Social Media Apps for Backpackers- Get Rolling!

Word of mouth had always been the best mode of advertisement for years. But now, social media is crowding more than ever. Anything and everything posted on social media gets exposed to many, so it’s presently one of the quickest and the most out-reaching forms of delivering any information than even physically hearing from someone. Considering the numerous benefits that travel social media apps provide, one can share personal stories, experiences, and even travel expeditions per se.

Table of Contents

“Updated” List of 14 Best Travel Social Media Apps Below:

Enlisted below are some of the best travel social network apps, designed specifically for globetrotters:

1. Trotter It

‘ Trotter It ’ is not just an app, rather it is a whole new digital diary, which can be your constant companion wherever you go. May it be an adventurous escapade to the wilderness or a calming break into the foothills of the Himalayas; you can record all of your experiences, not only in the form of literature but in real-time high-definition images, videos, and so on. Your stories are ready to be related to all your followers regaling them with all eminent information that’s possible.

Download the app : Android IOS

2. Foursquare

This app is almost a mainstay for online travel planners for years. It incorporates an incredible number of functions and facilitates one to search for tourist attractions, based on distance from their current location. The app also provides auto-suggestions, which is Foursquare’s personalized estimate of your tastes.

Download the App : Android IOS

3. Spotted by Locals

As the name goes, this software application is more realistic because the content material is collected from real localities, residing at that particular place. Peculiar sightseeing and activity ideas, as well as a guide to eateries covering more than 70 cities, are also provided. You can find a few non-tourist suggestions too.

4. Withlocals

This is an app that’s essentially filled up with localized information gathered pertinently from local tour guides. This software application furnishes all information related to food, short tours, nearby markets, day and night trips, etc.

5. Travello

Travello is a travel social media app for people who are very much fond of traveling. After signing up, a feed can be seen that is filled with post(s) that are made by other people who had been richly traveling the world. If needed, you can also connect with other travelers here on this app by giving comments on the photo(s) or sending messages to ask any question(s). Travello app can be used for finding groups of travelers, who share the same wavelength.

6. Couchsurfing

Couchsurfing is the best application to stay connected to the locals, make strong travel buddies, or host travelers in your city. India application, you get to browse the millions of local hosts offering a place to stay in over 230,000 cities across the globe. You can also see who is nearby and wants to become available on Couchsurfing hangouts. If you cannot go out, you can meet up with incoming travelers coming to your hometown.

Trippy encourages more people to travel. You can experience new places, new cultures, and new people with them. Trippy is a community of global travelers who wish to share core values. You can register as heroes by using your real avatar, a bio, and a profile to start with. Then, you can share your reviews on a place, the best time to visit the place, and many more on the website. You can also ask for suggestions for shorter and simpler routes and get information on the streets and rest areas on the way.

Visit : Website

8. Showaround

Showaround helps the travelers and tourists connect with the locals who are ready to show off their hometown. It is an online marketplace for private tours, where you can customize your tool with local residents before arriving at your destination. When touring with the locals, the sightseeing experience becomes more flexible between the two. With Showaround locals, you get to visit the different corners of the streets, and this gives you a chance to make spontaneous decisions and enjoy whatever comes your way.

Are you tired of solo traveling? Then you must register on GAFFL. The application connects you with travelers from 170 different countries, and you can travel buddies, share costs and tour the entire world. You can start your trip and publish it in minutes. You can also search for your desired location, and when you like our trip post, hit connect and start chatting immediately. GAFFL has been exclusively made to export different parts of the globe together and split costs.

10. Backpackr

Whether you are out on a solo trip or a group, Backpackr is a great way to meet and greet fellow travelers. You can browse through hundreds of profiles and message the people you want to travel with. Then, you can grab a drink and see the sites together.

You can ask the travelers about the best sites, the best restaurant, or the best bar in the common room. You can even organize meetups.

11. Steller

It is an exciting way to plan a trip. Just open the application, and you will be inspired by the thousands of real-life travel stories from the worldwide community. You can bookmark your favorite adventures and use them to plan your next trip. You can also find hotels, restaurants, and bars near the destination and book them with the new booking tool, which Trivago powers.

With Steller, you get to learn interesting facts about a particular place and discover new adventures.

12. Travellerspoint

It is one of the world’s largest and most active travel communities, with members from almost every country in the world. The website has over 30,000 travel blogs and 175,000 stories, along with 1.4 million photos of various destinations across the globe. So, if you are thinking of traveling soon or getting ready to plan your trip, Travellerspoint is the spot where your journey begins.

The website helps you to plan easily, preview your plan and share your trip experiences with the community.

13. TraveLibro

TraveLibro is an exciting travel application that lets you discover, create and release your travel journeys. It enables you to find various travel spots across the globe by exploring the visual itineraries posted by travel influences and expenses. In addition to this, the application also allows you to create trip memories with friends and family members. You get a digital travel diary and a customized coffee table travel book along with the application.

14. Final Thoughts

Final Thoughts helps you connect to your loved ones during the afterlife. The website is a self-help therapeutic solution with a digital mental health space. It focuses on the patients who are diagnosed with severe illnesses.

You can create a birthday message or a wedding congratulations video for your friend or your child on the application. The website will deliver the video on their special day. The users can also create a legacy project using the website. It offers a unique opportunity for the patients to reflect on their memories, process the events and the people who affected their lives.

Wrapping Up

Since the virtual world is brimming with innumerable travel social media apps, each of them being equally compelling when it comes to advertisements, laymen are bound to get confused in deciding which ones to install and use. This short guide about some worthy ones has been prepared to enlighten you a little bit while planning your sojourns.

Must Read : Five Best Travel Journal Apps for Android

Don’t Have Time to Read Complete Post, Just Watch It

Trotter It - a Dedicated App for Passionate Travelers like You. Download Now and Share your Travel Memories with the World. Get it on Google Play | IOS

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Trotter It – Best App for Passionate Travelers

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Date: February 6, 2024

The Role of Social Media in Travel Marketing: Best Practices and Case Studies

Back in 2016, then Marriott’s chief global marketing officer, Karin Timpone spoke to CNBC about their social media travel marketing service and incorporation of geo-fencing technology. 

If someone posts a photo from one of its properties, her team will reach out and contact the front desk to let them know. The hotel will often then reach out to the customers and offer complimentary upgrades — something to show that Marriott values their presence. 

Earlier, a music video for “I’ll Show You” featuring Justin Bieber at the Fjadrárgljúfur canyon in Iceland. A few years later, tourism to this once-quiet town nearly doubled. The video on YouTube has over 500 million views since 2015. 

Given the general rise in income levels and jobs going remote, people find more time to take frequent travel breaks, showcasing the need for effective digital marketing services to tap into the growing travel market

And social media has only accentuated this trend , 

• By hosting engaging travel content and motivating reviews
• By increasing travel FOMO (Fear-Of-Missing-Out)
• By minimizing unpleasant surprises at the destination

Given the scope of social media in travel marketing services , this blog discusses best practices followed by interesting case studies for inspiration. 

The Power of Social Media in Travel Marketing

• Expedia’s 2023 Traveler Value Index noted almost 35% of travelers turn to social media for holiday inspiration. 
• Furthermore, 75% of respondents chose a specific destination inspired by social media as per Amex’s 2023 Global Travel Trends Report .
• Travel Live Streaming is becoming increasingly popular on social media, with 60% of travelers saying they have watched a live stream of a travel experience. 
• 74% of travelers use social media while traveling, while 92% of consumers trust word of mouth and UGC more than other forms of advertising, thus making UGC on social media crucial for any travel marketing campaign. 

Best Practices for Successful Social Media Travel Marketing

Top 5 things travelers use social media to research – Destinations, Hotels, Activities, Attractions, and Restaurants. Let’s list out travel marketing best practices to get the most attention from social media users. 

Choosing the Right Platforms

Creating engaging content, building a consistent brand presence, utilizing paid advertising, monitoring and analytics.

Identify the social media platforms that align with your target audience. 

Popular Vacation Inspiration Social Platform

Demographics

Millennials, GenZ

Highly visual

Boomers, Millennials

Moderately visual

TripAdvisor

Millennials

User Generated Content

Extremely visual

Boomers, Millennials, GenZ

Detailed & Informative

B2B travel marketing

Take a que from social media strategy of Marriott Hotels . Their Instagram account features stunning photos of their hotels, while their Twitter account is more focused on sharing news and updates.

Invest in high-quality, visually appealing content, including photos and videos. Use storytelling techniques to capture the essence of your travel experiences.

Encourage user-generated content (UGC) by running contests or using branded hashtags. UGC refers to any content that is created and shared by users or consumers of a product, service, or brand rather than by the company or organization itself. 

Travel marketers can leverage UGC in the following way: 

• Display UGC on their social channels to engage other users as it signals authenticity.
• Monitoring UGC can become your informal market research to upgrade your services in-time. 
• UGC also helps build employer brand which results in team retention.

Furthermore, you may leverage the new YouTube app feature that lists video recommendations according to thumbnail color. As a travel marketer, you can explore more such strategies to increase views on YouTube here .  

Highlight safety measures and sustainable practices in your travel marketing, as these have become critical concerns for travelers post-pandemic.

Take inspiration from our previous blog where we have discussed Innovative Travel Marketing Campaigns From Around The World . 

In a bid to blindly replicate brand marketing successes on social media, many end up creating “self-congratulating” content.

Recreating trendy content give a false impression to the marketing team about better reach. The truth beholds, unless original thought is put to market product/service, the social media marketing will lead to poor brand awareness, let alone lead generation. 

Consistency is Key. Develop a content calendar to maintain a consistent posting schedule. Consistency helps keep your audience engaged and informed.

Share travel stories, itineraries, and personal experiences. Storytelling creates a deeper connection with your audience. Use live streaming feature to promote your brand often. Learn more tips on travel live streaming here . 

You can use hashtag strategy to expand your content’s reach. Create a branded hashtag for your campaigns and encourage followers to use it.

However, we feel social media hashtags are overused. Hashtags are annoying and they hijack conversations. Moreover, users may relate social media posts with many hashtags as spam.

Here is an interesting blog by Hannah Macready where she discusses the best use of hashtags for your social media campaigns in 2024 and beyond. 

Partner with social media influencers who align with your brand and target audience. Influencers can provide authentic recommendations and reach new followers. 

Look for long-term association with the right content creator on social media for consistent engagement of new and existing users. Influencer marketing tools like Ylytics , HypeAuditor , and others can help you find the right social media influencers. 

How Travel Marketers Want People to Search on Google?

Enter a search query -> Your brand website ad appears -> Book your services

But How Do People Actually Search?

Enter a search query -> Google analyzes and displays results per keyword -> Visitor clicks -> Interrupted by WhatsApp chat -> Sleeps.

… a week later…

Notices a display ad from your brand -> Visits the landing page -> Bookmarks it -> Checks out the brand profile on Instagram -> Share it with spouse -> Logs out

… 2 days later in the office…

Visits your site -> Confirm their bookings.

Use paid advertising options on platforms like Facebook and Instagram to target specific demographics and promote your travel offerings. Consider retargeting ads to re-engage users who have shown interest in your travel products or services.

Use geo-targeting to reach users in specific locations, especially if you’re promoting local or regional travel experiences.

Also, read>> Facebook Ad formats

Also, read>> YouTube Ad formats

Also, read>> Instagram Ad formats

Use analytics tools provided by social media platforms to track the performance of your posts and campaigns. Adjust your strategies based on data insights, focusing on what works best for your audience.

Continuously monitor social media trends and adapt your strategy to incorporate new features and technologies. Keep an eye on emerging platforms that may provide new opportunities for travel marketing.

It is important to develop a crisis management plan to address any negative incidents or crises that may arise on social media. Swift and appropriate responses are crucial.

Further, experiment with different types of content, posting times, and ad creatives to determine what resonates best with your audience. 

Latest Trends in Social Media Travel Marketing

• Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) for immersive advertisements and travel previews.
• Live streaming for real-time travel experience.
• Showcasing eco-friendly destination and promoting responsible tourism.
• AI-powered chatbots and recommendation engines.
• Social commerce and booking directly on social media platforms.

VietJet Air is not afraid to experiment with new formats and strategies. For example, they recently launched an augmented reality (AR) campaign that allowed users to virtually experience their flights.

You can connect with us for more AI-related marketing solutions . 

Case Studies: Success Stories in Social Media Travel Marketing

Let’s explore a few success stories in social media travel marketing through case studies. The selected case studies highlight how effective social media strategies can help travel brands engage their audience, encourage user-generated content, and create memorable and impactful marketing campaigns. 

• Airbnb – #LiveThere Campaign
• Icelolly – Facebook Marketing Automation
• Royal Caribbean International – Targeted Ad Campaigns
• Expedia – #ThrowMeBack Campaign

Each campaign leveraged the power of storytelling, user participation, and visual content to connect with travelers and promote unique travel experiences.

1. Airbnb – #LiveThere Campaign:

Airbnb wanted to differentiate itself from traditional hotels and emphasize the idea of “living like a local” when traveling.

Social Media Strategies Implemented

• Launched a series of visually stunning Instagram and Facebook posts showcasing unique properties and travel experiences.
• Encouraged hosts and guests to share their stories, photos, and videos using the hashtag #LiveThere.
• Collaborated with travel influencers and celebrities to create authentic content.

Results and Outcomes

• The #LiveThere campaign garnered over 3.5 million Instagram mentions.
• Airbnb’s Instagram following grew by over 300% in a year.
• The campaign effectively communicated the brand’s message of unique and authentic travel experiences.

It may have worked for Airbnb back in 2017 but will be work for your travel business in 2024 and beyond? No one can be sure but you can surely take some inspirations out of it and improvize over it.  

2. Icelolly – Facebook Marketing Automation:

Icelolly experienced a temporary decrease in conversion rates across their social media platforms. As a response, they incorporated the Facebook extension into their Engagement Cloud.

• Implemented an omnichannel strategy to unify data from a single social media platform with the website. 
• Delivered tailored ad notifications through social media feeds to individuals who have subscribed to destination price alerts.
• Conversion rate was generated by 17% through Facebook
• Retargeting ads was increased up by 3%
• Open rate was generated by 35%
• CTR was increased by 201%
• Conversion was increased by 45%

3. Royal Caribbean International – Targeted Ad Campaigns: 

Royal Caribbean International, a global cruise line, sought to increase engagement and conversions through its social media marketing efforts.

• The cruise line implemented marketing automation tools to segment its social media audience based on factors like travel preferences and past interactions.
• They used automated chatbots to respond to common inquiries and facilitate booking processes on social platforms. 
• They launched targeted ad campaigns on Facebook and Instagram, retargeting users who had shown interest in specific cruise itineraries.
• Significantly improved response times and engagement on social media platforms.
• Enhanced conversion rates, with more users booking cruises directly through social media channels.
• Increased brand loyalty as travelers received personalized recommendations and timely responses to inquiries.

4. Expedia – #ThrowMeBack Campaign:

Expedia aimed to inspire travelers to relive their favorite travel memories.

• Encouraged users to share their old travel photos with the hashtag #ThrowMeBack, along with a caption explaining the memory.
• Curated and featured some of the best user-submitted photos on Expedia’s social media accounts.
• Over 15,000 users participated in the #ThrowMeBack campaign, sharing their travel memories.
• The campaign generated increased engagement and user interaction on Expedia’s social media platforms.
• It created a sense of nostalgia and encouraged travelers to book new trips to create more memories.

Challenges and Pitfalls in Social Media Travel Marketing

Social media travel marketing offers significant opportunities, but it also comes with various challenges and potential pitfalls that marketers should be aware of, like 

• Platform Algorithm Changes: Social media platforms frequently update their algorithms, affecting organic reach and engagement. Marketers need to adapt strategies to stay visible to their audience.
• Privacy and Data Protection: Stricter privacy regulations (e.g., GDPR) require marketers to handle user data responsibly. Mismanagement can lead to legal issues and reputational damage.
• Ad Saturation: Social media users may become overwhelmed with advertising, leading to ad fatigue. Marketers must strike a balance between promotion and providing value to the audience.
• Language and Cultural Sensitivity: Misinterpretations or insensitivity to local languages and cultures can lead to backlash. Marketers must research and tailor content appropriately for different regions.
• Changing Travel Behavior: Travel behaviors and preferences change over time, influenced by various factors like technology, health concerns, and economic conditions. Marketers need to stay updated and adapt accordingly.
• Over-Tourism Concerns: Social media can contribute to over-tourism by popularizing specific destinations or attractions, leading to overcrowding and environmental issues. Travel marketers must promote responsible tourism.

Hike Up Your Marketing Efforts with ColorWhistle

If your goal is to motivate shoppers, fans, and advocates through genuine content that has a track record of success, we are here to provide assistance. 

ColorWhistle’s expert travel-focused designing and marketing assistance can boost your social media efforts. Further, our experienced digital marketing service team can elevate user experiences on multiple touchpoints. You can write to us or call us at +1 (210) 787 3600 anytime to enquire more. 

Kindly leave your comments down below if you found the information in this blog useful and wish to learn more

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About the Author - Manav Gupta

Manav Gupta is a full-time CopyWriter at ColorWhistle, where he works to benefit both professionals & enthusiasts in the field of Digital Marketing, Branding & Web Development by creating engaging content. Prior to joining ColorWhistle, Manav was responsible for managing & executing content projects ranging from sales collateral to web content, ad copy to letters, business proposals to sales plans, and training manuals. A graduate of a reputed university, Manav holds an honors degree in Engineering. When not hard at work creating meaningful content, he enjoys perfecting his knowledge of music, playing cricket, and volunteering to build a carbon-neutral society.

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10 Tips For A Perfect Travel Social Media Marketing Strategy

Last Updated on April 14, 2024 by The Digital Travel Expert

How do you build a travel social media marketing strategy that conveys the right message to the right target audience and addresses their travel pain points?

First thing first, how has social marketing changed the way we travel?

In the digital era, the travel and hospitality industry has been evolving at an unprecedented pace. Traditional marketing methods are quickly making way for digital media marketing, compelling hotels, travel agencies, and tour operators to adapt and innovate.

But how do you effectively build a travel social media marketing strategy? Like in our previous post about travel SEO strategy , this article will go through steps to consider when building a travel marketing strategy that aligns with your brand and niche.

Table of Contents

10 Steps to Building a Successful Travel Marketing Strategy

Any digital marketing plan starts with defining your goal. Your goal might be brand awareness or conversion, but in general social media is best for the first two stages of the marketing funnel. Once the goal is defined, the next steps to building a successful travel social marketing strategy will require you to have your target audience and understand their preferences and interests.

This involves conducting thorough research to identify the platforms where your audience is most active, whether it’s Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest. Next, you create compelling and visually appealing content that showcases the unique vacation experiences and destinations your hotel or travel brand offers. Let’s explore every step of travel social marketing in detail.

1. Identifying the Right Social Media Platforms

When developing your social marketing strategy for travel brands, the first step is to identify the platforms most used by your target audience. Facebook, with its billions of users, is a must for most businesses. Instagram travel marketing ‘s visual nature makes it ideal for showcasing destinations, accommodations, and local attractions. Twitter can be great for quick updates and engaging in conversations, while LinkedIn can help you establish connections in the industry.

2. Creating Engaging Travel Social Media Content

Like in travel SEO marketing , Content is king in the digital marketing world. When it comes to crafting your content plan, it should be a mix of promotional, educational, and entertaining content.

• Promotional content: Share special offers, discounts, or exclusive packages. Highlight your unique selling propositions but ensure it doesn’t come off as pushy.
• Educational content: Share travel tips, must-visit places, local customs, or any information that would enrich your audience’s travel experience. Providing valuable insights establishes you as an expert in your field.
• Entertaining content: Interesting anecdotes, breathtaking photos, or engaging travel tales can get your audience excited about their next trip. This is not social media addiction:)

Remember, your content should align with your brand’s personality and engage your audience. Vary your formats between videos, images, infographics, and stories.

3. The Role of a Social Media Marketer

A skilled marketer can turn your social presence from an afterthought into a major revenue driver. They are the architects of your social content plan, responsible for crafting posts, scheduling content , engaging with the audience, and analyzing performance metrics.

In essence, a digital travel marketer ensures that your brand’s voice is heard and respected, your customers are satisfied, and your business goals are achieved.

4. Monitoring and Adapting Your Strategy

Social media marketing isn’t a “set it and forget it” type of strategy. It requires continuous monitoring and adaptation. Keep an eye on your metrics – likes, shares, comments, followers, website clicks, etc. Use these insights to understand what works and what doesn’t, and tweak your strategy accordingly.

Don’t be afraid to experiment. Trends change quickly, so stay updated and adapt your strategy to ride the wave of these changes.

5. Engaging with the Audience

Interaction is a vital aspect of any social media marketing strategy . It’s not enough to simply push out content; you need to engage with your audience as well. Respond to comments, encourage discussion, and consider creating polls or contests to boost engagement. Being accessible and responsive can foster a sense of community and loyalty, making your followers more likely to convert into customers.

6. Utilizing User-Generated Content

Your customers are your best advertisers. Travelers love sharing their experiences online, so why not incorporate user-generated content into your strategy?

It’s a great way to foster engagement and create authenticity around your brand. Encourage customers to share their experiences using a branded hashtag and feature these posts on your social profiles. It’s a win-win situation: you get authentic and cost-effective travel content , and your customers get recognition.

7. Leveraging Travel Influencer Partnerships

In the world of travel social media marketing , influencers can be a powerful tool. Partnering with influencers who align with your brand can help you reach a more prominent, engaged audience. While celebrities can have a massive reach, don’t overlook micro-influencers. They often have a smaller but highly engaged following and can drive excellent results.

8. Implementing Travel Social Media Advertising

While organic reach is important, social platforms offer sophisticated advertising options to help you reach a larger, targeted audience. Use them to promote your special deals, boost your top-performing posts, or target users who are planning their next holiday.

9. Building a Consistent Brand Voice

It is important to keep your brand voice consistent across the platforms you use . Your brand voice communicates your values through your online and offline messages, and customer service as well. It’s a reflection of your brand’s personality and values. Whether you’re serious and professional, fun and quirky, or helpful and friendly, your voice should resonate with your target audience and be consistent in every post, comment, and reply.

10. Staying Updated with Social Media Trends

Stay abreast of the latest social travel trends and updates. Platforms regularly roll out new features, such as Instagram’s Reels or LinkedIn’s Stories. Being an early adopter of these features can give you an edge over your competitors.

15 Content Ideas for Social Media Marketing For Travel Business es

First, what is social media and its importance for the travel industry? The ease of sharing experiences, the visual appeal of exotic locations, and the accessibility of reviews make social platforms ideal for engaging prospective customers in the travel sector.

An effectively implemented social media content plan can be your key to reaching a broad audience and driving bookings.

Ethical travel content for social media marketing is a great way for tourism businesses to engage with their audience while promoting sustainable and responsible travel practices.

These content ideas aim to inspire travelers to explore the world responsibly, while also promoting the values of sustainability, cultural appreciation, and community support.

Here are 15 content ideas from travel catchy slogans, captions, and quotes suitable for Instagram, TikTok posts, and bios:

1. Eco-Friendly Accommodation Spotlights

• Slogan: “Stay green, stay serene!”
• Caption: “Discover eco-friendly stays that offer luxury with a conscience. #EcoTravel #SustainableLiving”

2. Local Cuisine Exploration

• Slogan: “Taste the world, support local.”
• Caption: “Savor the flavors of [destination] while supporting local farmers and businesses. Every bite tells a story. 🍽️ #EatLocal #SupportLocal”

3. Voluntourism Opportunities

• Slogan: “Travel with purpose, leave a positive impact.”
• Caption: “Make a difference while exploring new destinations. Join us in giving back to the communities we visit. 💚 #VolunteerTravel #MakeADifference”

4. Wildlife Conservation Initiatives

• Slogan: “Protecting wildlife, one adventure at a time.”
• Caption: “Embark on unforgettable wildlife experiences while supporting conservation efforts. Let’s preserve our planet’s precious biodiversity. 🐾 #WildlifeConservation #ResponsibleTravel”

5. Cultural Immersion Experiences

• Slogan: “Embrace diversity, celebrate unity.”
• Caption: “Immerse yourself in the vibrant cultures of [destination]. Every interaction is an opportunity to learn and grow. 🌍 #CulturalExchange #UnityInDiversity”

6. Plastic-Free Travel Tips

• Slogan: “Pack memories, leave only footprints.”
• Caption: “Small changes can make a big difference. Say no to single-use plastics and help keep our oceans clean. 🌊 #PlasticFreeTravel #LeaveNoTrace”

7. Adventure with a Cause

• Slogan: “Adrenaline with purpose.”
• Caption: “Experience the thrill of adventure while supporting local conservation projects. Let’s protect the places we play in. 🏞️ #AdventureForGood #ConservationHeroes”

8. Responsible Tour Operator Features

• Slogan: “Exploring responsibly, together.”
• Caption: “Partnering with responsible tour operators committed to sustainable and ethical travel practices. Join us on our journey towards a better future. 🌿 #ResponsibleTourism #TravelConsciously”

9. Community-Based Tourism Highlights

• Slogan: “Travel with heart, leave with stories.”
• Caption: “Discover the warmth and hospitality of [destination] through community-based tourism experiences. Every visit helps support local livelihoods. ❤️ #CommunityTourism #TravelWithPurpose”

10. Low-Impact Transportation Options

• Slogan: “Go green, travel clean.”
• Caption: “Opt for eco-friendly transportation options like biking or walking to explore [destination] sustainably. Let’s reduce our carbon footprint together. 🚲 #GreenTravel #SustainableTransport”

11. Nature Conservation Awareness

• Slogan: “Protecting paradise, one step at a time.”
• Caption: “Explore the beauty of nature and learn how we can all play a role in preserving it for future generations. 🌳 #NatureConservation #ProtectParadise”

12. Fair Trade Souvenir Suggestions

• Slogan: “Souvenirs with a story.”
• Caption: “Support local artisans and communities by choosing fair trade souvenirs that empower rather than exploit. Every purchase makes a difference. 🎁 #FairTrade #EthicalSouvenirs”

13. Educational Sustainable Travel Tips

• Slogan: “Travel smart, travel sustainably.”
• Caption: “Learn simple yet effective ways to minimize your environmental impact while traveling. Together, we can create a more sustainable future. 📚 #SustainableTravelTips #TravelWisely”

14. Off-the-Beaten-Path Destinations

• Slogan: “Explore beyond boundaries.”
• Caption: “Discover hidden gems off the tourist trail and support lesser-known communities. Adventure awaits where the crowds don’t go. 🗺️ #OffTheBeatenPath #ExploreLocally”

15. Leave No Trace Challenges

• Slogan: “Take memories, leave no trace.”
• Caption: “Challenge yourself to leave behind only footprints and take away memories and photographs. Let’s keep our favorite destinations pristine for generations to come. 👣 #LeaveNoTrace #TakeMemories”

You can leverage ethically catchy travel slogans, captions, and quotes to engage your audience and encourage them to join responsible travel practices.

Travel Social Marketing FAQs

How has social media influenced travel and tourism in recent years? 

Social marketing has revolutionized how people plan, experience, and share their travel adventures. With the rise of platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, travelers now have access to a wealth of information and inspiration at their fingertips. Through stunning visuals and personal stories shared by fellow travelers, social media has fueled a desire for exploration and discovery like never before. It has become a powerful tool for research, allowing individuals to gather recommendations, read reviews, and gain insights into destinations they may have never considered.

How do luxury travel brands use social media marketing?

Luxury travel brands have embraced social media marketing as a powerful tool to engage with their affluent clientele and create a unique brand experience. They leverage various platforms, such as Instagram and Facebook, to showcase their exclusive destinations, personalized services, and opulent accommodations. By curating visually stunning content, they captivate their audience’s attention and evoke a sense of wanderlust. These brands also employ influencer collaborations to enhance their online presence, partnering with renowned travel bloggers and celebrities who embody the essence of luxury travel.

Final Thoughts

Crafting an effective travel social media marketing strategy involves understanding your audience, creating engaging content, and continuously monitoring and adapting your approach. It’s not about being present on every platform but about maximizing your impact on the right ones.

It’s a journey with exciting twists and turns, but with patience, creativity, and persistence, you’ll be well on your way to harnessing the power of social media for your travel business.

Remember, building a successful travel social media marketing strategy doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a process that requires patience, creativity, and the ability to connect with your audience. With the right approach, social media can play a pivotal role in your business’s growth. The world is waiting for your story. Now, go ahead and share it!

This article was written from the love of travel and digital marketing. If you came through this part, it either means you have some thoughts about travel digital marketing or you know someone who might need to read this article. Let us know in the comment section your point of view!

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50+ Travel Questions That Will Increase Engagement on Instagram Stories

It is no secret that the Stories feature on Instagram can really drive your engagement. Not only that, but it allows you to get to know your followers better and what type of content they respond to.

The Questions sticker on Stories is my go-to to interact with followers, and I love to ask engaging questions about my favorite subject…TRAVEL! Within 24-hours of posting a travel question, I start reposting responses, tagging the account that answered. In turn, the follower I tagged may acknowledge the repost with a heart, a thank you, or even repost the answer on their stories, usually tagging my account as well.

Occasionally, a follower will send a direct message saying how much they enjoy answering the questions I ask and sometimes even state so in their own story repost of their answer. Since this is a popular way to interact and make people think about their own travels, I figured I would compile a list of my highest-performing questions that you can use!

Here is my top 50 travel questions list for you to use:.

1. What is the most memorable road trip you’ve been on?

2. Do you have a dream road trip you would like to do? If so, where?

3. What road trip snacks do you love to bring/buy?

4. If you are planning a road trip this year, where will you go?

5. Name a touristy place/tourist attraction you’ve been to that’s worth visiting.

6. Name a touristy place/tourist attraction you’ve been to that’s NOT worth visiting.

7. What’s the best thing you’ve brought back from your travels? (souvenir/other)

8. Name a strange/unusual tourist attraction where you live.

9. If traveling was back to normal, where would you go?

(This question is one I asked during the coronavirus quarantine and received dozens of responses.)

10. Name a travel-related film/tv show you enjoy.

11. What is your favorite hotel brand/chain or hotel in general?

12. What are you doing this weekend?

13. Where did you go on your last trip?

14. What holiday is only celebrated in your country?

(I love questions like this because it is one we can all learn from. Maybe it’s a holiday you and your followers have never heard of and want to learn more about. This is a great question to find out more about another country and its culture.)

15. Name a dish/dessert you keep dreaming about after having it in your travels.

(People love talking about food, so be prepared for a lot of engagement on this one!)

16. What’s the most incredible natural phenomenon you have witnessed?

( This about your own experiences. Have you seen the northern lights, a geyser, or Niagara Falls? Chances are your followers have seen some pretty amazing things too, some things you may not have ever heard of. This question can help grow your bucket list as well as those of your followers.)

17. What is the most dangerous/adventurous thing you have done in your travels?

18. What is your favorite website/app to book travel?

19. If you won a trip to go anywhere, where would you go?

20. What is your favorite place to go in the city you currently live?

21. Where did you go on your first international trip?

22. Where did your family take you for vacation when you were a child?

23. What is your favorite body of water?

24. In what place have you seen the best night sky? (i.e. stars, northern lights, etc.)

25. What is your favorite beach?

26. Where is the most memorable trip you’ve been on so far?

27. What is your favorite travel accessory/gadget?

28. What is your drink of choice on an airplane?

29. What is the strangest/most interesting thing you’ve eaten in your travels?

30. What has travel taught you?

31. What is your favorite travel quote?

32. Name a place you feel has been affected by over-tourism.

33. Where is the best hike you’ve ever done?

34. Where have you seen the best sunset?

35. Where is the most environmentally-conscious place you’ve visited?

36. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?

37. Why do you travel?

38. What tour company have you used in your travels?

39. What is your favorite airline?

40. Where were you born? Where did you grow up?

(A great question to get to know your followers better.)

41. Where do you wish you were right now?

42. What is your favorite city for architecture?

43. What is your favorite city for food?

44. What do you do for exercise when you travel?

45. What camera equipment do you bring with you when you travel?

46. In how many cities have you lived?

47. How long was your longest trip?

48. What is your favorite airport you’ve traveled through?

49. Who is your favorite travel companion?

(You can take this one a step further and have them tag the person. That way, when you share, you can tag both your follower and their travel buddy who may end up following you if they aren’t already!)

50. Respond with a travel-related emoji & I will repost a photo from your feed.

(This one is my absolute favorite and I use it often. Why? Well, everyone wants to get their account seen, gain more followers and increase engagement on Instagram. Sharing is a fantastic way to showcase some of your followers’ amazing travel photos and, oftentimes, they will repost one of your photos in return. I have had followers message me to say thanks and that they received several more followers because I shared one of their photos. It is a win-win!)

Bonus: Polls!

Using the poll sticker is another fun way to help drive engagement, and they are quick and easy for people to scroll through your Stories and answer as there are only two choices.

Here are a few high-engagement travel-related polls I have used in my own stories with the “This or That” theme:

• Solo Travel vs. Group Travel
• Travel by Car vs Travel by Plane
• London vs. Paris
• Beach vs. Mountains
• Adventure Trip vs. Relaxing Trip
• Plan It vs. Wing It
• Sightseeing vs. Shopping
• Tourist Spots vs. Hidden Gems
• Airbnb vs. Hotel
• Local Street Food vs. Fancy Restaurant

If you use Instagram questions, it is always a great idea to repost answers and tag the account that answered. If you reshare others’ content, yours will most likely be reshared as well, increasing followers and engagement. Remember, Instagram is a community and sharing is caring! Check out my Instagram page here .

Feel free to bookmark this list for your future travel-related Instagram questions and polls. And please share any other travel-related questions you have had great engagement on in your social media posts in the comments.

This post may contain affiliate links with which I earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

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CASE STUDY: How Social Media Is Changing The Way We Travel (By The Numbers)

BY Michelle van Praag

Social media use has grown exponentially over the past decade and there is no doubt that it is having a huge impact. It has begun to influence almost all areas of our lives - in particular, how we travel. 

There is no doubt that Facebook is king, with over 2.38 billion monthly active users, making it the biggest social network worldwide. 

Youtube and Whatsapp follow closely with 1.9 billion and 1.5 billion monthly active users respectively.

And with over one billion monthly users, Instagram alone has become the new ‘landing page’ for many businesses, not least those which depend on image-driven marketing such as hotels and resorts(1).

ForeverVacation is a premium tour and entertainment company that focuses on fun, premium and unique tours around South East Asia. We currently have locations in Bali, Malaysia, Vietnam and Thailand and employ 43 team members which are comprised of management, marketing and our amazing tour guides.

In this case study we’re going to show exactly how social media is changing the way we travel using our own numbers based on over 2,000 private tours analyzed in South East Asia. For the purpose of this study, we used tours only from Bali, Malaysia & Vietnam.

Let’s dig into this a little deeper…

Research conducted by Facebook in 2019 showed that 67% of travelers use Instagram to find travel inspiration before booking a trip and once the trip is booked, they continue to use the platform to get themselves pumped for the upcoming adventure(2).

 It’s encouraging people to explore new places they never even knew existed until they saw a photo pop up on their newsfeed! Now, we’re only a few clicks away from seeing an image on Instagram to purchasing a ticket to go there. 

The power of social media should not be overlooked, especially when used by influential people. In 2015, Justin Bieber filmed his music video for “I’ll Show You” at the Fjadrárgljúfur canyon in Iceland which was shared on all of his social media pages. After this, tourism to the once sleepy town doubled between 2017 and 2018 . 

The small alpine town of Wanaka in New Zealand also benefited from embracing this new way of online marketing. Thanks to it’s ‘insta-worthy’ scenery, there was a 14% growth in tourism in 2018. 

Tourism chiefs attribute this to a social media campaign in which social media influencers were hosted in the town, generating a wave of Instagram related publicity(3).

This suggests that consumers are now looking to social media for travel inspiration. Many even go as far as to recreate particular images or videos from their favorite Instagram pages. 

At ForeverVacation, we offer 50 different tours in Southeast Asia and our tours that focus on capturing great photos make up about 73% of our tour bookings. This shows that the motive for travel is now all about creating exciting images. 

And a study carried out by Schofields also found that over  40% of millennials aged 18-33 consider ‘Instagrammability’ when selecting their next holiday destination. 

Instagram seems to be the leading name when it comes to travel inspiration. The platform has more than 300,000,000 posts tagged with the word ‘travel’ in them. 

In terms of our customers, 68% of our tour bookings are booked by millennials . Research shows that 75% of millennials post on social media every day and 97% use social media while traveling(4). The millions of vacation pictures flooding the internet are proof of this! This generation is leveraging social media to share their travel stories with the world. 

Companies looking to sustain themselves have to keep the millennial traveler demographic in mind. Millennials are aspirational and experiential travelers. 

If one or more social posts appeal to them, they might be tempted to book right on the spot. Photos of dramatic landscapes could easily translate into travel plans for the immediate future. 

Millennials are choosing, booking, recording and sharing their travels on social media in ways older generations simply didn’t. 

But with social media at their fingertips and immediate access to endless inspiration and information, millennials want instant confirmation and communication from travel companies. They want to organize and engage digitally and seek much more instant gratification. Communication needs to happen as fast and as regularly as social updates do. 

It seems that although millennials are less inclined to pick up the phone and prefer to arrange everything online, they still want human help if they hit a snag on the road. This is where companies should consider a hybrid model that allows customers to book with a click, but still be able to contact a concierge team at all times in case of last-minute delays or miscommunications. 

This is where social media platforms such as Whatsapp are extremely useful. At ForeverVacation we now use Whatsapp to communicate with all of our customers during and leading up to their tours with us.

To millennials, a favorite travel influencer’s recommendation means more than one from friends or family in a lot of cases. Millennials are 54% more likely to make a purchase based on a social media influencer’s recommendation. 

We have seen this in our own data as approximately 12% of our tour bookings come from referrals when being tagged or mentioned on Instagram or Facebook by a guest.

With smartphones making it easier and quicker to both take and share high quality photos and video, there has been an explosion of visual content right at the customer’s fingertips. 

And it is the people behind the cameras who dictate where customers travel, rather than the travel agent’s or glossy travel brochures. Increasingly, consumers trust peers or influencers more than brands or celebrity endorsed campaigns. 

With social media developing all the time, new ‘stories’ and ‘live’ features mean that there is little about the narrative which gets left untold. Each detail is carefully captured, meaning that the consumer has already been to the destination before even leaving home! 

Now you can almost curate your whole experience based on the images you see online - of course this is changing the way we travel!

Travel motives are about visiting certain attractions and creating beautiful images to post on social media

Millennials want instant communication and gratification via social media platforms when trip planning 

Consumers look to peers and influencers on social media for referrals and recommendations 

Basically, social media IS changing the way we travel in a big way. But, this is not necessarily a bad thing! Consumers now have instantaneous access to so much travel inspiration and information, and companies can use this to their benefit. 

Millennials are quick-thinking multi-taskers who are being encouraged to spend their money on experiences rather than things. The world is changing very rapidly and social media is always progressing, but we can use this to our advantage. And one thing that will never change is that people will always want to travel the world! 

References:

https://www.statista.com/statistics/272014/global-social-networks-ranked-by-number-of-users/

https://www.olapic.com/resources/the-impact-of-social-media-on-travel-inspiration_blog-p1aw-f1tr-v1th-t1sm/

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/25/business/iceland-economy-wow-air.html

https://www.condorferries.co.uk/millennials-travel-statistics-trends

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The Good (And Bad) Impacts Of Social Media On The Way We Now Travel

As it turns out, FOMO and targeted advertising really do shape the way travelers book vacations.

Whether we admit it or not, social media impacts nearly every aspect of our lives . From the moment we wake up until the moment we go to sleep at night, it's always there and many of us are always on it. While 2020 gave way to many people 'unplugging' and taking social media breaks and breaking up with their phone time, period (thank you, screen time reports), there were many others who found solace in it and turned to social media to support causes, spread awareness, and generally just reach out.

In terms of travel, social media even impacts that, with recent studies showing that it might impact how we plan and take vacations more than originally thought. Social media has now proven to be a powerful platform which hotel, rental, transportation, and even the entertainment industry has learned how to take advantage of. Each scroll opens up a gateway to a new idea , a new option, or a new trustworthy review. It might not seem like it, but travelers are influenced in more ways than they realize and it starts as soon as that app or webpage is fully-loaded on our screens.

Social Media Influences In A Positive Light

It's estimated by Four Pillars Hotels that 85% of all travelers are using their cell phones while abroad. That is a hefty reliance on technology, much of which involves social media or web searches. In a way, this is positive news - it means that now, more than ever, people are jumping on their phones to conduct their research, look up directions, find things to do, and stay connected while traveling overseas. This provides an avenue that many people didn't have 20 years ago or even a decade ago when phone technology was in its infancy and wasn't capable of half the things a phone can do now.

It's also estimated that 30% of travelers have used their phones to find affordable deals on bookings which means that social media, for one, has been working - the ads that a person is directed to and the 'suggested' pages that pop up are targeting the right people; enough to boost online bookings and deal redemptions past where it has ever been before.

Related: 12 Times Instagram Traveler Pics Gave Us A Dose Of Reality

In terms of using social media for reviews, an overwhelming 92% of people say they trust personal reviews from family and friends, also referred to as 'earned' reviews. In terms of general reviews, 70% of people trust online reviews regardless of who they come from - friend or stranger. Social media has given travelers a powerful platform to stand on as they can now not only document their expereinces via photo and video proof, but can describe their personal experiences to others through other platforms.

Feeling that FOMO? You wouldn't be alone. Roughly 52% of users on one popular social media platform alone planned vacations based on what they saw from their family and friends. Specifically, it was the photos shared from the vacation that inspired them to do the same thing or something similar. Additionally, 48% of people who planned their vacations around social media and used strictly social media for their research, kept those same exact plans without changing them.

Social Media Influences In A Negative Light

That doesn't mean social media hasn't been hurting the travel industry, as well. In the same light, all of those reviews (that 70% of people on social media trust) can also hinder a company, brand, or restaurant just as much as they can help them. During a year such as 2020, a negative review could be detrimental to the overall success of a business which is something not many people realize before hitting 'post.'

Related: According To Instagram, These Are The Most Picture-Worthy Beaches In The World

When it comes to posting the photos that cause all of that FOMO, surprisingly, only 76% of travelers polled by Four Pillars Hotels admited to actually posting vacation photos on social media after they came back. While the reason is unclear, it could be anything from maintaining privacy to not wanting to show off, but that means there are still a percentage of 24% - which isn't so small - that don't post a single thing. This could be hurtful to the tourism industry, as more often than not, it's encouraged for travelers to share their own ecperiences in order to get the word out and increase business and revenue.

Lastly, only 38% of US travelers and 64% of non-US travelers use social media to actually talk about or blog about their experiences. It's unclear what this means and whether or not higher percentages could help the travel industry as well as those places in need of strong tourism to survive, but the scale is clearly tipping far in one direction and far less in the other.

Next: These Tips For Taking Fall Foliage Photos With Have Your Entire Instagram Jealous

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2024 Travel Trends: Social media, spending more and solo travel

Contributors are not employed, compensated or governed by TD, opinions and statements are from the contributor directly

Travel in 2024 is set for a year of evolution, with new research showing how people in the UK are reshaping the definition of the ‘modern traveller’ by prioritising experiences, changing booking behaviours and reframing wellness and relaxation. 

The research comes as Hilton releases its 2024 Trends Report – a global study unpacking how traveller behaviours and interests are changing. Supported by a UK travel map which pinpoints the regional differences of travellers and trends across the UK, from the rise of holiday streaming and solo travel to increasingly evolving booking habits.

EXPERIENCE OVER EVERYTHING

Travellers are prioritising new experiences (85%), with many looking forward to exploring the unknown (81%), trying the local cuisine (64%) and learning about local customs and traditions (48%) when on holiday.

And people are saving the pennies to make it happen, with more than half (52%) reducing spending in other areas to prioritise travel. Hilton’s global trends report found over half (56%) of people in Britain plan to spend more on travel in 2024 than in 2023.

Some are going further to immerse themselves into local traditions, with 25% looking for locally sourced food while away. However, when it comes to staycations, Brits can’t get enough of the comfort classics with a ‘posh fish finger’ sandwich currently the top choice on Hilton’s UK bar menu 1 .

SOCIAL INFLUENCE

The increasing influence of social media is no surprise, and it’s even affecting holiday planning. In fact, a third of Gen Z travellers select their destination based on what’s trending on social media (34%), popular culture (36%) and live events or festivals (34%) driven by leading artists who have been performing this year.

However, when it comes to enjoying their holiday, many are pulling the plug on technology, with three in ten taking a break from social media to disconnect from life back home (31%).

EVOLVING BOOKING BEHAVIOURS

The new research revealed people in the UK are starting to plan ahead with a majority of travellers (55%) booking a holiday 3 – 6 months in advance, and 6% even booking their holidays for the whole year in January.

People are craving some ‘me time’ with 16% of people having taken a solo trip in the last year. And this is increasing, with nearly a quarter (24%) considering a break on their own in the next three years, liking the independence (42%), flexibility (46%) and self-discovery (20%) that comes with it.

Northern Ireland leads the way, as a third (33%) are considering a solo trip in the next three years, the highest in the UK. It is also no surprise that 18 -24yrs olds are the most likely to consider solo travel, rising to 40%.

Solo travellers on Hilton.com are keen to relax while away, with searches for indoor pools by people travelling on their own doubling since last year.

A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO WELLNESS AND RELAXATION 

Hilton data shows many in the UK are seeking out wellness when planning breaks – with spa searches up 82% from last year.

However, self-care isn’t all about spas and swimming, with a quarter of people (25%) using online streaming services in their hotel rooms to relax – amassing to an average of 14 hours of TV over a week-long stay. Londoners are most likely to use streaming services on holiday (38%), while on average, guest data use in Hilton hotels has increased by 23% since 2022.

Patricia Page-Champion, senior vice president & global commercial director at Hilton, said:  “Our research highlights an increasing focus on experiences, the influence of social media and entertainment on choosing breaks, and the reframing of wellness and relaxation in travellers’ minds. 

“And underlying these evolving trends, one constant we continue to see is the importance of holidays to people in the UK, who say they plan to travel more in 2024 even if this means cutting back spending in other areas. With travel such a priority for so many, our focus is on delivering a genuinely great stay in the best locations around the world.” 

Hilton’s carbon-conscious menu inspires guests to ‘go low’ on emissions

Hilton commits USD3.3 million in grants toward organisations creating a better world…

A new generation of Asian Travelers – The ‘GenerAsian’ traveller

Hilton expands Rotterdam Portfolio with two new hotels

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Digitalization of the travel industry - statistics & facts

Online bookings and online reviews, the impact of social media on travel, key insights.

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Online travel market size worldwide 2017-2028

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Most popular travel and tourism websites worldwide 2024

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Distribution of sales channels in the travel and tourism market worldwide 2018-2028

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Digital marketing in the travel industry.

• Premium Statistic Distribution of sales channels in the travel and tourism market worldwide 2018-2028
• Premium Statistic Travel & leisure industry digital advertising share in selected global countries 2022
• Premium Statistic Transport & tourism's display ad spend in the U.S. 2019-2021
• Premium Statistic Transport & tourism ad spend on digital display in the UK 2019-2021
• Premium Statistic Spending on Google of leading online travel agencies (OTAs) worldwide 2019-2024
• Premium Statistic Google spending as a share of marketing expenses of leading OTAs worldwide 2019-2024
• Premium Statistic Advertising effectiveness among U.S. travelers 2022
• Premium Statistic Leading types of ads considered as engaging among U.S. travelers 2022

Revenue share of sales channels of the travel and tourism market worldwide from 2018 to 2028

Travel & leisure industry digital advertising share in selected global countries 2022

Travel and leisure industry share of digital advertising spending in selected countries worldwide in 2022

Transport & tourism's display ad spend in the U.S. 2019-2021

Transport and tourism digital static display advertising spending in the United States from 2019 to 2021 (in million U.S. dollars)

Transport & tourism ad spend on digital display in the UK 2019-2021

Transport and tourism advertising spending on digital static display in the United Kingdom (UK) from 2019 to 2021 (in million U.S. dollars)

Spending on Google of leading online travel agencies (OTAs) worldwide 2019-2024

Estimated expenditure on Google advertising of leading online travel agencies (OTAs) worldwide from 2019 to 2023, with a forecast for 2024 (in million U.S. dollars)

Google spending as a share of marketing expenses of leading OTAs worldwide 2019-2024

Estimated Google advertising spending as a share of marketing expenses of leading online travel agencies (OTAs) worldwide from 2019 to 2023, with a forecast for 2024

Advertising effectiveness among U.S. travelers 2022

Share of travelers who were motivated to make a booking influenced by selected types of ads in the United States as of May 2022

Leading types of ads considered as engaging among U.S. travelers 2022

Share of travelers motivated to engage with selected types of advertising in the United States as of May 2022

Travel websites

• Premium Statistic Most popular travel and tourism websites worldwide 2024
• Premium Statistic Total visits to travel and tourism website booking.com worldwide 2021-2024
• Premium Statistic Share of visits to the travel website booking.com worldwide 2024, by country
• Premium Statistic Total visits to travel and tourism website tripadvisor.com worldwide 2020-2024
• Premium Statistic Share of visits to the travel website tripadvisor.com worldwide 2024, by country
• Premium Statistic Number of user reviews and ratings on Tripadvisor worldwide 2014-2023
• Premium Statistic ACSI - U.S. customer satisfaction with online travel websites as of 2023

Most visited travel and tourism websites worldwide as of April 2024 (in million visits)

Total visits to travel and tourism website booking.com worldwide 2021-2024

Estimated total number of visits to the travel and tourism website booking.com worldwide from December 2021 to March 2024 (in millions)

Share of visits to the travel website booking.com worldwide 2024, by country

Share of visits to the travel and tourism website booking.com worldwide as of March 2024, by country

Total visits to travel and tourism website tripadvisor.com worldwide 2020-2024

Estimated total number of visits to the travel and tourism website tripadvisor.com worldwide from August 2020 to March 2024 (in millions)

Share of visits to the travel website tripadvisor.com worldwide 2024, by country

Share of visits to the travel and tourism website tripadvisor.com worldwide as of March 2024, by country

Number of user reviews and ratings on Tripadvisor worldwide 2014-2023

Total number of user reviews and ratings on Tripadvisor worldwide from 2014 to 2023 (in millions)

ACSI - U.S. customer satisfaction with online travel websites as of 2023

U.S. customer satisfaction with online travel websites from 2000 to 2023 (index score)

Online travel planning and booking

• Premium Statistic Voice assistant usage in selected countries 2022, by sector
• Premium Statistic Main reasons why travelers felt frustrated when planning a trip worldwide 2023
• Premium Statistic Reasons for feeling frustrated when planning trips worldwide 2023, by tourist type
• Premium Statistic Travelers' expected use of selected planning tools for trips in 2033 worldwide 2022
• Premium Statistic Most searched travel terms on Google in the UK 2022-2023
• Premium Statistic Leading holiday travel provider websites in the UK Q4 2023, by share of voice
• Premium Statistic Travel product online bookings in the U.S. 2023
• Premium Statistic Travel product online bookings in Canada 2023
• Premium Statistic Travel product online bookings in the UK 2023

Voice assistant usage in selected countries 2022, by sector

Share of consumers using voice-activated searches in selected countries worldwide as of May 2022, by sector

Main reasons why travelers felt frustrated when planning a trip worldwide 2023

Main reasons why travelers felt frustrated when planning a trip online worldwide as of March 2023

Reasons for feeling frustrated when planning trips worldwide 2023, by tourist type

Main reasons why travelers felt frustrated when planning a trip online worldwide as of March 2023, by type of tourist

Travelers' expected use of selected planning tools for trips in 2033 worldwide 2022

Share of travelers expecting to use selected planning tools for trips in 2033 worldwide as of August 2022

Most searched travel terms on Google in the UK 2022-2023

Volume of Google search for travel-related terms in the United Kingdom (UK) from November 2022 to April 2023

Leading holiday travel provider websites in the UK Q4 2023, by share of voice

Leading websites for holiday searches in the United Kingdom in 4th quarter of 2023, by share of voice

Travel product online bookings in the U.S. 2023

Travel product online bookings in the U.S. as of December 2023

Travel product online bookings in Canada 2023

Travel product online bookings in Canada as of December 2023

Travel product online bookings in the UK 2023

Travel product online bookings in the UK as of December 2023

Social media

• Premium Statistic Facebook brand post engagement 2023, by vertical
• Premium Statistic Instagram brand post engagement 2023, by vertical
• Premium Statistic X/Twitter brand post engagement 2023, by vertical
• Premium Statistic Important digital transformation topics among accommodation businesses in Europe 2023
• Premium Statistic Most talked about products/topics online in the U.S. 2023
• Premium Statistic Most talked about products/topics online in the UK 2023
• Premium Statistic U.S. consumers: leading social media presence of travel services 2021
• Premium Statistic U.S. consumers: leading social media presence of travel services 2021, by generation

Facebook brand post engagement 2023, by vertical

Average engagement rate with brand posts on Facebook in 2023, by vertical

Instagram brand post engagement 2023, by vertical

Average engagement rate with brand posts on Instagram in 2023, by vertical

X/Twitter brand post engagement 2023, by vertical

Average engagement rate with brand posts on X (formerly Twitter) in 2023, by vertical

Important digital transformation topics among accommodation businesses in Europe 2023

Most important digital transformation topics among accommodation businesses in Europe as of May 2023

Most talked about products/topics online in the U.S. 2023

Most talked about products/topics online in the U.S. as of December 2023

Most talked about products/topics online in the UK 2023

Most talked about products/topics online in the UK as of December 2023

U.S. consumers: leading social media presence of travel services 2021

Travel accommodation brand with the leading social media presence according to consumers in the United States as of August 2021

U.S. consumers: leading social media presence of travel services 2021, by generation

Travel accommodation brand with the leading social media presence according to consumers in the United States as of August 2021, by generation

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Want to make friends while traveling solo? Social media can help.

Jet-setting solo does not mean you have to fend for yourself in a foreign country all alone. The days are long over where you'll have to grit your teeth through cheap booze and find the clubbing district of wherever you're headed in order to bump shoulders with other humans.

That said, we understand if you might be slightly freaking out as you pack your bags . It can suck to think about whether you'll have to go on exciting excursions alone, or if the only people you'll ever share your Parisian café latte with are your Instagram followers . (Unless you're into that, in which case, work those lighting angles!)

Sure, it can be downright liberating for some people to choose their own path when abroad. Like a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure book of experiencing different cultures, you get to go at your own pace, surround yourself in environments that suit you, and not have to split the check.

But loneliness can definitely hit you like a bullet train if you're going at it alone in an unfamiliar place . The good news is that if you have a phone, putting yourself out there in the world has never been easier. Apps and websites can be excellent ways to make new friends abroad, online and off.

So put the social back in social media. Globe-trotters packing a bag for one are on the rise , which means there are plenty of opportunities to connect with others on the experience of a lifetime. Here are our best tips for meeting some awesome explorers on your latest journey.

1. Meetup.com

The fact that Meetup.com 's tagline was previously "the real world is calling" says it all. Get your butt out of the hostel! Ease yourself into meeting new people with a larger group activity. The massive platform works well at connecting people with common interests in a local community. Find a group that's meeting in the area you're staying, and pick your goal. Want to practice your Español at a local park picnic? Or is hiking and white-water rafting more your speed? There's a wide variety to choose from, and Meetup is especially good for LGBTQ solo travelers looking for queer-friendly group activities .

2. Couchsurfing and Airbnb

You don't have to use a room-booking app just to crash on some stranger's couch anymore. Apps like Couchsurfing and Airbnb are branching out their offerings to allow you to actually, ya know, meet people in the area you're staying in. On Couchsurfing you can create a profile and tell others who've checked in around you that you're down to hang. If you don't mind the confines of a paid official tour, Airbnb's "Experiences" are still great to meet people (you never know if you might lock eyes with your new best friend while baking scones in a French cooking class.)

3. Facebook groups

If you only go on Facebook to get your daily dose of surreal meme groups, we completely understand. But there are still many, many active solo travel FB groups out there that can be totally useful. Especially for DFAB (designated female at birth) solo trekkers, it's nice to connect with others on established groups like Girls Love Travel and Solo Female Travel Network (but there are definitely more general groups like Solo Travel Society .) Many of these networks host meetup tours , but don't be afraid to message individual group members if you're looking for a travel partner. Although, you may have to re-download the Facebook app, since it might've been a while for you people.

4. Travello

One of the first social media apps actually focused on meeting up with fellow solo travelers! You can do a lot with this app — discover other travelers nearby, join groups that match your interests, and match travel plans with people who'll arrive at a destination the same time as you. Bonus points, it's totally free! You can also tailor your results to find other people based on nationality, age, gender, etc, if you're looking to vibe with a specific group. There's also a social feed feature where you can post trip updates and photos, but let's get real, leave it for Instagram where the real clicks are.

5. Dating apps

Trust us, you can totally shoot your friend shot on dating apps to score a new travel pal. While it might be an unconventional choice, you can finesse it — the key is choosing the right platform , and explicitly stating boundaries. Be upfront on your profile about the fact that you're just a visitor, and that you're only looking for a buddy (after all, people are horny worldwide). Bumble BFF is a great place to find platonic companions in your area of choice, and even though Tinder can be a garbage fire most of the time, Tinder Passport allows you to swipe through profiles anywhere on Earth.

6. Instagram

Instagram 's already halfway a dating app anyway, why not use it to find a friendly partner to take to the salsa club or show you the best Irish pub in the area? Don't underestimate the power of a polite DM or two to local bloggers (or even influencers ) from the place you're visiting. People's profiles are (usually) much more of a genuine reflection of their interests and personalities than dating apps, and the pressure to escalate an interaction into romance is way lower. If you feel uncomfortable jumping straight into contacting people, a good hack is posting a pic and tagging it with location and travel tags (get as annoyingly extra with the tags as you want). You'll never know who will like your photo! If you check out their profile and they seem like a friendly local, reach out. You might be pleasantly surprised.

Once you want to take it offline, there are some safety tips you should remember before you break out the paddle boats and off-the-beaten-path pad Thai with your new bestie.

• Meet in a public space, and trust your gut. Trust your Spidey sense (or "Peter tingle" ) when chatting up anyone online. Don't ignore bad vibes if you're getting them, and remember that it's always better to meet up somewhere well-lit, local, and full of people (like a cafe or museum). Going way, way off the beaten path can be great, but be aware of people who immediately want to meet somewhere like the outskirts of a city, or where transportation, cell service, etc, are minimal.
• Share your location (but also be careful sharing your location). Sounds like a Catch-22 , right? But there's a big difference — once you've agreed to go hit the trail with some Swedish backpackers or go grab a mojito with a Cuban local, share your location with a trusted friend or family member just in case. Location sharing that could get you in hot water would be checking in everywhere you go, or sharing what hostel or room you're staying in with people you've just met. Again, Peter tingle it.
• Consider video chatting before you meet up. The show Catfish exists for a reason. If you're unsure about potentially hitting someone up IRL suggest you swap specific photos (the ol' "how many fingers am I holding up?" trick) or video chat first. If the person on the other end vehemently objects, it's red flag city .
• Be aware of travel scams. Preying on unsuspecting travelers, no matter the gender, is a reality of many tourist hot-spots. Spend a few minutes before your departure researching local travel scams in the area you'll be visiting. You won't always be able to completely avoid being clocked as a foreigner, but knowing how to spot and avoid typical scams when you meet up with people gives you a lot of power.

But most importantly, have fun, and keep an open mind. It's true that friendship can happen unexpectedly, anywhere, but you have the power to put yourself out there during a once-in-a-lifetime experience. After all, even if you're traveling solo, you're never really alone.

UPDATE: Jun. 28, 2023, 2:37 PM AEST This article was originally published in Feb. 2020, and has since been updated in June 2023.

Travel agency social media strategy 101: A beginner's guide for travel agents

Last updated November 29, 2023

If you're wondering what a travel agency social media strategy is, you're in the right place. It’s a term that gets thrown around a lot, but it’s rarely defined.

Essentially, a travel agency social media strategy is a plan for how you'll use social media to achieve your business goals. And if you're a travel agent, having a social media strategy is more important than ever before.

In today's digital age, social media can be a powerful tool for promoting your business, building brand awareness, connecting with potential customers and getting them into your sales funnel. But without a solid strategy in place, your efforts may fall flat.

That’s why I’m walking you through the basics of social media strategy for travel agents. Whether you're a complete beginner or just looking to up your game, I’ve got you covered. So, let's dive in!

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I may get a small commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you.

Step 1: Define your goals and objectives

Before you start posting on social media willy-nilly, it's important to take a step back and think about your goals and objectives.

What do you want to achieve with your social media strategy? Do you want to increase your number of followers? Drive traffic to your website? Boost your bookings for a particular destination?

Once you've defined your goals, you can start to develop a strategy that will help you achieve them. And let's be honest, who doesn't love a good strategy?

As a travel advisor, your goals might include things like:

Increasing brand awareness

Building relationships with potential customers

Driving more traffic to your website

Generating leads and bookings

Whatever your goals may be, it's important to make sure they're SMART. That stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. SMART goals are more likely to lead to success, and less likely to leave you feeling overwhelmed or directionless.

Do you want to increase your social media followers by a certain number or percentage by a specific date? Maybe you’d like to connect with a specific number of leads, or get a certain number of bookings for a specific destination within a specific time period. Those are both examples of SMART goals.

So, take some time to think about what you want to achieve with your social media strategy. Then, write down some SMART goals to help you get there. Trust me, it's worth the effort.

Step 2: Know your target audience

Alright, time to get a little more specific. When it comes to social media, it's not just about getting as many followers as possible. It's about getting the right followers.

That's where knowing your target audience comes in. If you don't know who your ideal customer is, you'll have a tough time creating content that resonates with them and ultimately, driving more business.

Think about it: would you rather have 10,000 followers who aren't interested in travel or 1,000 followers who are itching to book their next trip? Yep, I thought so.

So, take some time to define your target audience. Who are they? What are their interests? Where do they live? What kind of trips do they like to take?

Once you have a good idea of who you're trying to reach, you can start to tailor your content to their interests and needs. And trust me, they'll appreciate it.

One way to define your target audience is to create a buyer persona or an Ideal Client Avatar. What are those? They’re simply a semi-fictional representation of your ideal customer. It includes things like their demographics, interests, pain points, and more.

To create a buyer persona, start by gathering data on your existing customers. Look at their age, gender, income, location, and more. Then, think about their interests, motivations, and challenges. Use this information to create a detailed profile of your ideal customer.

> Want a step-by-step guide and worksheet to make creating your Ideal Client Avatar easy? Click here!

With your target audience in mind, you'll be able to create content that speaks directly to them, build relationships with potential customers, and ultimately, drive more business.

Step 3: Choose the right travel agency social media platforms

Alright, now that you know who you're trying to reach, it's time to figure out where to find them.

There are a ton of social media platforms out there, and not all of them are right for every business. As a travel agent, you'll want to focus on the platforms where your target audience is most active.

So, which platforms should you be using? Here are a few of the most popular social media platforms for travel agents:

Facebook: With over 2.8 billion monthly active users, Facebook is a great place to connect with potential customers and share your travel expertise.

Instagram: With its focus on visual content, Instagram is perfect for showcasing travel destinations and inspiring your audience to book their next trip.

Twitter: Twitter is a great platform for sharing travel news and engaging with customers in real-time.

Pinterest: Pinterest is a visual search engine that's perfect for showcasing travel destinations and creating travel guides.

Of course, there are many other social media platforms out there, so it's important to do your research and figure out which ones are right for your business.

> Check out the Travel Advisor’s Guide to Social Media

When choosing which platforms to use, consider things like your target audience's age, interests, and their preferred social media platforms. You should also think about the type of content you want to create and how it will best be shared on each platform.

Remember, different platforms serve different purposes, so it's important to choose the ones that align with your social media goals and overall marketing strategy.

And don't forget to have fun with it! Social media is a great way to show off your personality and connect with potential customers in a more casual, human way.

Step 4: Develop a content calendar

Now that you know which platforms you'll be using, it's time to start creating content! But before you start posting, it's important to have a plan in place.

That's where a content calendar comes in. A content calendar is essentially a schedule that outlines what content you'll be posting and when. It's a great way to stay organized, consistent, and make sure you're always providing value to your audience.

Here's how to create a content calendar for your travel agency:

Start by brainstorming content ideas. What types of content will resonate with your audience? What questions do they have about travel? What types of destinations are they interested in? Think about these things and jot down some ideas.

Decide on your posting frequency. How often will you be posting on each platform? Make sure to choose a frequency that's realistic for your schedule and allows you to consistently provide value to your audience.

Choose a calendar tool. There are a ton of great content calendar tools out there, ranging from free to paid. You can even use your regular calendar and simply add your content calendar to it.

Fill in your content ideas on the calendar. Make sure to mix up your content types (e.g. photos, videos, blog posts, etc.) and be strategic about when you're posting certain content.

Schedule your posts, preferably in advance using a social media scheduler. I use and highly recommend Later , but no matter which one you use you’ll want to find one that works for you and start setting up your schedule.

A content calendar is a crucial part of any social media strategy, but it's also important to stay flexible and be willing to adjust your plan as needed. And remember, the goal is to provide value to your audience, so make sure your content is always informative, engaging, and helpful!

Step 5: Create engaging social media content

Now that you have a content calendar in place, it's time to focus on creating engaging content that will capture your audience's attention and keep them coming back for more. Remember, the goal is to provide value to your audience and build a relationship with them through your content.

Here are some tips for creating compelling content for your travel agency:

Know your audience. Make sure you're creating content that speaks to your target audience's interests and needs. Think about what types of travel experiences they're looking for and what questions they may have about travel.

Use visuals. Travel is a visual experience, so make sure your content includes eye-catching photos and videos. This will help your content stand out and grab your audience's attention.

Tell a story. People love stories, so use your content to tell stories about your travel experiences or the experiences of your customers. This will make your content more relatable and engaging.

Provide value. Make sure your content provides value to your audience. This could be in the form of travel tips, destination guides, or special offers on travel packages.

Mix up your content types. Don't just stick to photos or videos. Mix things up by including blog posts, infographics, and other types of content that will keep your audience engaged.

> Want to learn more about creating engaging travel content? Check out this post!

Some examples of engaging content for travel agents could include:

Destination guides

Travel tips and hacks

Customer testimonials

Behind-the-scenes looks at your business

Beautiful destination photos and videos

Remember, the key to creating engaging content is to put yourself in your audience's shoes and think about what types of content would be most valuable and interesting to them. By doing this, you'll be well on your way to building a loyal following on social media.

Step 6: Measure your social media success

After putting in the effort to create and execute a travel agency social media strategy, it's important to measure its success. Without tracking your progress, you won't be able to determine whether your efforts are paying off or if there's room for improvement.

To measure the success of your social media strategy as a travel agent, it's important to track relevant metrics such as engagement rates, reach, follower growth, and click-through rates. These metrics can give you insights into how your audience is responding to your content and how your strategy is driving traffic to your website or increasing bookings.

There are various tools you can use to track your metrics such as Google Analytics and individual social media platform analytics. If you use a scheduling service like Later you can also track many of your metrics there.

All of these tools can provide detailed reports on your social media performance and help you identify areas where you can make improvements.

Remember, measuring the success of your social media strategy is an ongoing process, and you should regularly review and adjust your strategy based on your metrics. This way, you can continually optimize your social media presence and achieve your business goals.

The bottom line

Congratulations, you now have a solid foundation for creating a successful travel agency social media strategy! Remember, having a well-thought-out social media strategy is key to standing out in a crowded industry and reaching your target audience.

As you embark on your social media journey, keep in mind that building a strong presence takes time and effort. Be patient, stay consistent, and don't be afraid to experiment with different tactics to see what works best for you.

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What is a destination dupe? Bengaluru just ranked 6th on an Instagram list, btw

According to a recent study, bengaluru has been named the 6th most photogenic destination dupe, with 18.8 million instagram posts..

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• 2024 has seen a rise in travel trend called destination dupe
• The trend involves travelling to cheaper places with similar aesthetics
• In a recent survey, Bengaluru was named the Silicon Valley dupe

Ever since the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been a significant rise in people wanting to travel. In fact, the global tourism market is expected to reach a whopping 16.9 trillion (yes, trillion ) USD by 2030.

Indians are also not far behind in their urge to travel, with our market size projected to grow to $131.7 billion by 2030.

However, not everyone has access to travel to high-end places, nor do they want to encounter huge crowds of tourists wherever they go, and let them photobomb every photo (we see you, Santorini) .

But what is a destination dupe?

Niyati Saxena, founder of Migrant Musings & Co, a group travel company from Noida, says that even though the concept of travelling to a much cheaper place with the same aesthetic is not new, now 'we have a name for it'.

She says, "Two places may have very similar terrain, landscape and even overall vibe and social setups. When one place resembles another (generally more popular) place in such a manner, it is referred to as a destination dupe."

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Mohnish Doultani | Lifestyle and Travel (@mohnishdoultani)

“People choose these spots because they get a similar experience without the usual downsides of busy tourist areas. So, it's like finding a great alternative that's just as good but without all the fuss,” says Ahuja.

What is the new survey?

• Travel experts at 1st Move International, a moving company, analysed Instagram data to reveal the most picturesque holiday destination dupes.
• They have named Bengaluru as the 6th most photogenic destination dupe (similar in photos ) of the famous Silicon Valley (a region in California) - with 18.8 million Instagram posts.
• "Considered the next Silicon Valley, Bengaluru is rising in popularity with over 18.8 million posts presenting its appeal. Renowned for its beauty, the city offers an array of picturesque spots for Instagram-worthy moments," the study reads.
• Pranav Dangi, founder & CEO, of The Hosteller, a hostel chain, agrees with the study and says, Bengaluru's recognition as a top destination dupe for Silicon Valley isn’t surprising.
• He describes Bengaluru as the epicentre of India’s tech industry and further adds that Bengaluru is bursting with innovation and startup culture, much like ‘Silicon Valley’.

Another reason, according to experts, is the ‘realness’ of these lesser-known destinations portrayed on social media, which has also made this destination dupe trend a hit.

Why are Indians opting for destination dupes?

Indians are known to be “ jugaadu s (make-shifters)”, and destination dupes are nothing more than a form of make-shift travel to a place which is much cheaper and less crowded.

Jokes aside, experts think there are various reasons why Indians travel to places that are dupes of much more famous places.

Like Dangi says, Indians are increasingly opting for destination dupes for: cost efficiency, easier access, and a growing desire for quick getaways due to busy lifestyles.

Agriculture equipment company John Deere is on the hunt for a different kid of CTO.

The brand on Tuesday announced a two-week search to find a "Chief Tractor Officer" who would create social media content to reach younger consumers .

One winning applicant will receive up to $192,300 to traverse the country over the next several months showcasing the way John Deere products are used by workers, from Yellowstone National Park to Chicago's Wrigley Field and beyond.

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"No matter what you do — whether it's your coffee, getting dressed in the morning, driving to work, the building you go into — it's all been touched by a construction worker, a farmer, or a lawn care maintenance group," Jen Hartmann, John Deere's global director of strategic public relations, told AdAge .

To kick off the search, John Deere tapped NFL quarterback Brock Purdy (who will presumably be a bit busy this Fall to take the job himself) to star in a clip in which he attempts to set out on a road trip in an industrial tractor.

Suited up in the obligatory vest, work boots, and John Deere hat, Purdy's progress is interrupted by teammate Colton McKivitz hopping into the cab while a string of messages floods in from other athletes and influencers expressing interest in the job.

The clip also represents the first time that the 187-year-old company has used celebrities to promote itself, Hartmann told AdAge.

According to the contest rules , entrants have until April 29 at midnight to submit a single 60-second video making their pitch for why they should be the face and voice of the company.

In addition, entrants must live in the 48 contiguous states or DC — sorry Hawaii and Alaska residents. Interestingly, any AI-generated submissions are prohibited, too.

Videos will be judged against four categories — originally, creativity, quality, and brand knowledge — after which five finalists will be chosen and notified after May 17.

Watch: What it takes to survive the Army's 60-hour Best Ranger Competition

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CBP officers interdict over $1 million worth of methamphetamine concealed within shipment of charcoal

OTAY MESA, Calif., – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the Otay Mesa Cargo Facility discovered over a million dollars’ worth of methamphetamine hidden within a shipment of charcoal.

On Thursday, at approximately 8:29 p.m., CBP officers encountered a 46-year-old male driving a commercial tractor-trailer with a shipment manifested for charcoal. The driver, a valid border crossing card holder, was referred for further examination by CBP officers along with the tractor-trailer and shipment.

In secondary, a non-intrusive scanning technology was utilized to conduct a full scan of the tractor trailer. After examination, irregularities were observed and CBP officers requested a CBP human and narcotics detection canine. The canine team responded and alerted officers to the presence of narcotics.

CBP officers discovered and extracted a total of 119 packages concealed within the shipment of charcoal. The narcotics were tested and identified as methamphetamine with a total weight of 782 pounds.

“This finding represents a significant interception showcasing our officers’ dedication to ensuring border security,” stated Rosa E. Hernandez, Port Director for the Otay Mesa Ports of Entry. “Our devoted team is focused on safeguarding our communities from harmful drugs, utilizing new and innovative technology to support our comprehensive enforcement strategies.”

CBP officers seized the tractor, trailer, and narcotics.

These seizures are the result of Operation Apollo , a holistic counter-fentanyl effort that began on October 26, 2023 in southern California, and expanded to Arizona on April 10, 2024. Operation Apollo focuses on intelligence collection and partnerships, and utilizes local CBP field assets augmented by federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial partners to boost resources, increase collaboration, and target the smuggling of fentanyl into the United States.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the comprehensive management, control, and protection of our nation’s borders, combining customs, immigration, border security, and agricultural protection at and between official ports of entry.

'They gave Kirk Cousins $180M': Social media reacts to Atlanta drafting Michael Penix Jr.

Round 1 of the NFL Draft started off with three quarterbacks in the first three picks with Caleb Williams , Jayden Daniels , and Drake Maye coming off the board. The run on offense continued through the next few picks ahead of the Atlanta Falcons at No. 8 overall.

The Falcons made it four quarterbacks in the first eight selections by selecting Washington's Michael Penix Jr.

This came as a surprise to many after the Falcons signed Kirk Cousins to start free agency and analysts and fans took to social media to react.

Michael Penix Jr. Falcons pick causes huge reaction

NFL DRAFT HUB: Latest NFL Draft mock drafts, news, live picks, grades and analysis.