Among the trends currently shaping the travel industry, the focus on sharing and seeking advice from online communities is undoubtedly prominent.
The travel industry, which has definitively left behind the dark period of Covid, is a world full of constant activity. Among the trends that are shaping this period is undoubtedly the focus on sharing and seeking advice from online communities.
The new trends in the travel sector are investing both in organized group trips – a product type that, at this moment, has a particularly solid target among singles over 35 – and those for couples and families, which emphasize the use of tools that have been a cornerstone of online communication for years.
For example? The storytelling, which should focus on authenticity and is experiencing a new phase of success thanks to influencer marketing, and customization. These are two key aspects that have allowed, over the past year, online travel bookings to grow at a rate exceeding 120%.
Summary
When inspiration comes from social media
Inspiration about places to visit around the world is increasingly coming from social media. TikTok and Instagram, due to the exclusivity of the video format in the first case and its undisputed centrality in the second, are two platforms where Generation Z – but also Millennials, who are beginning to pass the midpoint of their lives – find ideas about where to go and itineraries to follow once they arrive at their destination.
Numbers show that social media has now surpassed Google as a source of inspiration.
The review dilemma
Another factor that users rely on to decide the details of a trip is reviews published online. According to a recent survey conducted by the Kantar group, a company that specializes, globally, in research and data analysis, 74% of Italians consider online reviews on websites, social platforms, and apps to be truthful and trustworthy.
Despite this, 91% say they have been disappointed by a location or a lodging after reading positive reviews online. Notably, young people are particularly likely to express disappointment.
The pet traveling influencer marketing phenomenon
In the previous lines, we mentioned influencer marketing – creators, who have always built a community around themselves, otherwise they wouldn’t have the success they enjoy – as a key reference for travel numbers. Among the many communities related to influencers sharing their experiences on social media are those where the travel experience is narrated through the voices of our best friends, pets.
From photographers’ cats traveling the world and being photographed in breathtaking landscapes – one example is photographer Martin Gutfreund or, more specifically, his cat Suki, followed by nearly 2 million people on Instagram – to dogs and ferrets, there’s truly an embarrassment of riches.
What explains this success? Besides the high quality of the images, it’s the role that pets play in our lives. Real family members, they accompany us in many situations, including trips.
No doubt: in a period when prices are soaring – the pages of summer newspapers have reminded us multiple times – there are those who are clever enough to come up with solutions and, most importantly, those who consider, among the criteria for choosing a trip, the fact of identifying with certain values as more important than saving money.
Social media, and influencers in particular, with their storytelling and ability to create communities, significantly help in this regard.
Pubblicato in Digital Travel
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