Why Instagram and TikTok Are The Best Social Platforms For Travel Brands To Use

Milos, Greece

Travel and tourism is an inherently visual industry. 

Now more than ever, people want to actually see what a place is like before they visit, 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 there. And I wholeheartedly believe that Instagram and TikTok are the two best social media 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 well-made social media content, viewers can be instantly transported to an eco-hotel in the Costa Rican jungle, a safari in the Serengeti, a charming cafe in Paris, or a hot air balloon ride in Turkey via the little screen in their pocket.

As the old saying goes, “a picture is worth a thousand words.” And “if a picture is worth a thousand words, then a video is worth a million”. Rather than just reading about a travel destination or experience, audiences are now able to get a unique individual perspective and first-person point of view of a destination, including things to do there, places to visit, and even spots to avoid.

The best part about this is that now with social media, this information and inspiration comes in easily accessible photos or little bite-size 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 (Google) when it comes to trip researching, itinerary planning, and overall travel inspiration. For example, rather than Googling “best restaurants in Mallorca, Spain”, travelers are turning to TikTok or Instagram to find that out instead. 

The results when you search “best restaurants in Mallorca” on TikTok

What are the benefit of using TikTok or Instagram as a search engine?

First, viewers can visually experience what a place is like through their screen and can get a general vibe check of the place and see if that’s really where they want to go. For example, by searching “best restaurants in Mallorca, Spain”, viewers can easily see if a restaurant has a water view, if it is easy to get to, what kind of food might be available, what type of service other visitors might have experienced, and ultimately, if it’s worth adding to their itinerary in the limited time they have there.

Second, viewers often will be able to watch a first-hand experience or get an honest first-person POV of the experience by the creator who made the video. For example, maybe the waterfront restaurant in Mallorca had postcard-worthy views, but the food was so-so and the service was off. Those details will often be mentioned by the creator of the video.

Third, the comment section is brutally honest (sometimes to a fault). For example, if a certain destination or place has been way overhyped on social media, you’ll likely hear that in the comment section. If a restaurant is amazing and totally lives up to the hype, the comment section will let you know that too. The comments, especially on TikTok, are almost as important as the content itself. And people are more than eager to contribute to their two cents these days.

How your brand could benefit from social media content

The evidence is there — social media is heavily influencing the travel, tourism, and hospitality landscape. With travelers turning to social media more than anything else for travel inspiration, people choosing one destination over another based on what they’ve seen on socials, or audiences being influenced to visit a place because of one specific restaurant, attraction, or activity they’ve seen online, your travel/tourism/hospitality brand can’t afford not to be producing social content.

It all begins with a social strategy — how your brand is going to be positioned on socials and what kind of content you’ll be posting. There are a wide variety of experts to help you navigate the world of social media and content including social media managers, social media strategists, and content creators so don’t be afraid to hire out for help in this (p.s. I do this).

Content inspiration for travel, tourism, and hospitality brands

Here are some content ideas that travel, tourism, and hospitality brands could use on their own social media pages, with examples of how other brands have done it for some inspiration.

Tour company:

Highlight a travelers’s real experience on a 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.

If you have questions about social media and content as it relates to your travel, tourism, or hospitality business, feel free to reach out at ilyannasocialmedia@gmail.com or on Instagram at @byilyanna. And if you’re looking for help in social media content creation — whether it’s short-form videography, editing, social-optimized photography — check out my offerings here. :)