Let's Do It For The 'Gram!

Social media travel influencers are plugging us into new experiences to get us out of our shells and start exploring the world.

- Jane Rocca

Social media-fuelled tourism is on the rise and we can thank Generation Y for plugging us into the fear of missing out. If it wasn’t for Instagram and other online social media tools, chances are we wouldn’t know about these prized travel locations that are either off the grid or largely unexplored by the masses. But now, hashtags and social photographs are inspiring others to also pack their bags and seek more adventure.

When it comes to travel, many of us turn to our phones to begin the search. From there we seek destinations via hashtags and accumulate a shortlist others have shared along the way.

But more than just acting as interactive travel diaries, the rise of Instagram has given a new lease of life to social media influencers—where top-tier ones spend their year on the road visiting new destinations on a weekly and monthly basis. They’ve found a way to mix business with pleasure and the thought of settling down doesn’t appeal—just yet anyway.

When it comes to travel and aspirational living, nobody does it better than a social media influencer. This is not a passing phase— there’s careful plotting behind the scenes, deals made with airline companies, hotel chains and off-the-grid destinations in a bid to lure you to the next best place.

An AdWeek survey in the US recently revealed that almost half of holidaymakers had heard of their destination via Twitter or Instagram. Given that most of us turn to socials to find destinations, brands are linking themselves with travel influencers to leverage their impact.

Research undertaken by MDG Advertising into social media patterns shows that 40 percent of all online bookings are now done via a mobile device, that 74 percent of travellers use social media while holidaying and 40 percent of UK millennials admit that Instagram inspired their next destination of choice.