Travel is an inherently visual industry. People want to actually see what a place is like, see what they can experience and do there, get a visual vibe-check of the destination, and hear from real people what it’s like. TikTok and Instagram are the best two platforms to facilitate this.

According to Statista, “75% of travelers look to social media to research and gain inspiration for their next trip, this was the most common source of travel inspiration, more so than other media sources and family and friends.”

Through photos and especially videos, viewers can be instantly transported to a hotel in Costa Rica, a safari in the Serengeti, a cafe in Paris, or a hot air balloon ride in Turkey via the little screen in their pocket.

Rather than just reading about the experience, viewers are able to get a first-hand perspective and first-person point of view of things to do and places to go in a destination. And the best part is that it’s in little bite-sized videos that are quick to watch, easy to consume, and can readily be referred back to.

People are using social media apps — especially TikTok (!!) — as the new search engines. Rather than Googling “best restaurants in Mallorca, Spain”, travelers are turning to TikTok or Instagram instead.

Why? What’s the benefit?

Viewers can see what a place looks like and can get a general vibe check to inform their decision on where to go. For example, by searching “best restaurants in Mallorca, Spain”, they can easily see if a restaurant has a water view, is easy to get to, what kind of food they could get, and if it lives up to the hype.
They often see the first hand experience or get an honest first person POV of the experience by the creator who made the video. Maybe the waterfront restaurant had stunning views, but the food was so-so and the service was off. The person who made the video will probably mention that.
The comment section tells it how it is. For example, if a certain destination has been way overhyped, the comment section will tell you. If a restaurant is absolutely fire, the comment section will say it. It’s real people adding their real input.

So it’s evident that social media is heavily influencing the travel, tourism, and hospitality landscape. What does this mean for your business?

TAP. INTO. IT. Start making and posting social content for your brand!! And if you don’t know how to or want to leave it to the experts to create strategy-backed content, hire someone (ahem or Casa Social) to do it for you!

Here are some content examples that travel, tourism, and hospitality brands could use + apply to their own socials:

Tour company: Highlight a travelers’s real experience on the tour, like G Adventures did with their tour in Morocco here.

Travel community: Post a video of a relatable experience your target audience has all had, like Going did here.

Hotel: Post an inspirational travel video of the lifestyle of the destination your hotel is located, or all the things that guests can do/book through your hotel or within the town in general, like House of Somos in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica did here.

Airbnb: Post a video of your property’s most unique and beautiful features, like The Brexley, in collaboration with a local creator, did with with their Scottsdale Airbnb here.

Restaurant: Post a video positioning your restaurant as an “experience” or something fun to do in your city, tapping into something bigger than just being a place to eat like Pa’la Phoenix did here.

Bar: Post an beautiful inspirational montage video that highlights the unique vibe visitors can expect when they come to the bar like Idle Hands Cocktail Bar did here.

Coffee shop: Start a series incorporating your baristas and menu items, like The Nitro Bar did with their “What’s the weirdest drink order you’ve gotten recently?” series on TikTok here. PS. @thenitrobar is absolutely killing it on TikTok right now.

Co-living/working space: Post a day in the life or review from a real person staying/working at the co-living/working space like Outsite did for their Costa Rica location here.

Destination/tourism board: Post a beautiful and unique experiential restaurant that deserves to be on every visitors must-try list when visiting your destination, like Tempe Tourism did here with Top of the Rock.

Wellness Retreats: Post a video of the property the retreat takes place at, especially highlighting an amazing view or something exciting retreat attendees could look forward to, like SHA Wellness did here.

Ready to use social media and content as a tool to reach and attract your dream customers to your travel, tourism, or hospitality business? Check out our offerings, then schedule a call so we can chat about your business goals and how social media can be most effective for you. Our (social) house is yours, welcome in.

TikTok and Instagram are the best social media platforms for travel brands to use. Here’s why.