There can be only one… or can there be?
Social media platforms come in all shapes and sizes, and which ones you focus on can go a long way to reaching new travellers.
Social media has opened doors for many tourism businesses, whether through building online communities or highlighting services offered.
It’s hard to imagine a holiday without social media. From the research stage to uploading the perfect beach selfie, social media has become a crucial part of tourism.
But which social media platforms are the best for tourism businesses?
Why is social media so important?
Being active on social media is a must for tourism brands and businesses, and while there are several reasons for this, one stands out above the rest: research.
Have you ever been on holiday without doing some research first? We’re willing to bet that you probably haven’t. Whether you’re looking up reviews on Facebook, checking out destinations on Pinterest, or saving Reels on Instagram, research is a crucial part of tourism.
Everyone wants to share their holidays on social media, and no one wants to spend their money on a trip that could end up being a letdown. Social media has become the go-to destination for people deciding where to go.
If you’re a tourism brand trying to entice people to visit your destinations, you must build trust. A solid social media presence, positive reviews, and community engagement will help you build that trust faster.
TikTok
TikTik is a significant player in destination and tourism marketing. Don’t believe us? There are 45.6 million videos on TikTok with the hashtag #travel!
TikTok said, “The travel vertical is thriving; since 2021, we’ve seen a whopping 410% increase in views of travel content”.
To thrive on TikTok, you need to make digestible and entertaining short-form videos. It’s not all about selling your product or business; most TikTokers love the app’s relaxed, unpolished, and user-generated nature.
TikTok said that in 2023, the top travel content was “bucket list inspiration,” “relatable and humorous family entertainment,” and “voice-over travel dairy and visual listicles.”
Content ideas suited to this platform include day-in-the-life vlogs, behind-the-scenes videos, travel hacks and Q&As.
Instagram is a must for travel and tourism businesses, with 46% of Gen Z travellers claiming Instagram influences their travel decisions.
Instagram is the king of inspirational travel content; there are currently a whopping 742 million videos on Instagram with the hashtag #travel!
Don’t sleep on Reels – this is where you can flex your creative muscles and make engaging and visually appealing travel videos. Unlike feed posts, Reels can reach people outside of your followers, so this is where you are going to reach a new audience and potential future travellers.
YouTube
According to Google’s December 2023 Consumer Insights report, “Among the travellers surveyed in Australia, their number one source of online travel inspiration is YouTube videos”. Kind of mind-blowing, right?
YouTube Shorts are an easy way to jump on this platform. Shorts launched in 2021 as YouTube’s way to compete with short-form video apps like TikTok and Instagram. These 60-second videos are great ways to showcase your destination and tourism business.
If you’re strapped for time, you could repurpose the videos you’ve made for Instagram Reels on Shorts – just make sure you choose a song that doesn’t violate YouTube’s strict copyright laws.
You might not believe it due to the rise of popular apps like Instagram and TikTok, but Facebook is still a major player in social media.
Facebook has over 3 billion monthly active users and remains the most downloaded mobile app in the world.
Facebook is a great platform for community building and a way to engage with an audience aged 35+ (who generally aren’t on the Gen Z-dominated app TikTok).
31% of Gen X and 14% of Boomers say Facebook influences or inspires their decision-making process when booking a holiday.
If you want to use paid advertising to target people to your travel business, Facebook already has the Meta Ads tool.
Don’t overlook Pinterest! With over 518 million monthly active users and 80% of weekly Pinners feeling inspired by the shopping experience on Pinterest, it’s not an app to forget about.
This platform thrives on beautiful imagery, so why not share photos from your tourism business to inspire users to visit your destination? You can also add links to pins, so you can drive traffic directly back to your website.
The majority of Pinterest users (70%) are female-identifying, but the age demographic is varied, with 41% of people aged 14-24, 37% of people aged 25-39 and 35% of people aged 40-54.
What about X (fka Twitter?)
While we’ve previously praised Twitter for community engagement, customer service, and overall tourism marketing opportunities, the same can’t be said for Elon Musk’s X.
As a marketing tool for your tourism brand, Twitter is just about as good as it gets. However, as bots have increased, advertisers have left in droves, and X moves further and further to the right by the day, you should consider whether advertising on the platform is a responsible choice for your business.
Word of mouth is a powerful marketing tool. However, is the word of mouth you may get from X worth the risk?
We recommend giving X a miss, for now!
Which platform is right for you?
Audiences differ from platform to platform. Like most things in social media, you need to plan, execute, analyse and adjust until you find a strategy that works for you.
If you operate a B&B or budget accommodation, TikTok will be useful for you due to its younger audience. If you are a luxury hotel in the Maldives, your audience is likely on Facebook.
You don’t need to be on every platform, just the platforms that work for you and your audience.
