When it comes to connecting with travelers, the watchword is authenticity
By Dan Booth
As humans progress through Maslow’s famous Hierarchy of Needs, once we get past the basics like food and shelter, somewhere further up the list is the human desire for social belonging, to experience – among other emotions – acceptance and friendship. What psychologist Abraham Maslow put forward in his “Theory of Human Motivation” was the idea that, along with the essentials, we are all social creatures and our need for personal interaction is hard-wired into our human nature.
In the digital age, tapping into this primal instinct has given rise to a host of social media platforms that have transformed decision-making for the tech-savvy of all generations. Social media has been around in one form or another for more than a quarter century, and during that time has, for better of worse, claimed an ever-increasing share of its users’ attention. In the travel space, that means travelers are relying on social media to find details about destinations, insights on different travel brands, and abundant feedback from fellow travelers.
This is especially the case among a younger generation of users. A poll of nearly 2,000 travelers for World Travel Market London found that social media influencers were cited by just 7.8 percent across all survey respondents; more than one-third (36.4 percent) said they still rely on information from the Internet and one in five (22.1 percent) turn to websites for their travel advice. However, among respondents between the ages of 18 and 24, nearly one in five (19.7 percent) said they got information about their travel destinations from social media influencers.
Even among Millennials, those between 25 to 34, the percentage of those who rely on social media influencers for travel information dropped to just 10 percent. The results reveal how travel decisions of Generation Z – those born in the late 90s and into the 2000s – are much more influenced by platforms such as Instagram and TikTok than preceding generations.
Travel Brands Beware Given that this combination of real knowledge and subjective impressions can enhance and motivate the travel experience, it should come as no surprise that travel marketers are also hard at work to find ways to connect with and engage customers through these new digital channels. But that trend toward making social media yet another outlet for touting the wonders of a given destination, travel product or service brings with it the risk of alienating rather than encouraging followers on social media.
In fact, according to a recent global survey from Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants, pressure to be "social media-worthy" can negatively impact consumers' travel experiences. The poll involved over 4,000 individuals from the US, the UK, Australia and Japan, who are active on social media, interested in travel, and have viewed travel-specific social media content from influencers within the last 12 months. The survey, which looked at how consumers feel about the content of travel brands and traditional travel influencers on social media, found a large discrepancy between travel content currently on social media and the true desires of consumers.
The research found over three-quarters (76 percent) of respondents felt that more realistic depictions of travel from content creators on social media would be more valuable than existing travel content. An even greater percentage of respondents (85 percent) said the social media content of travel industry brands should be more inclusive of all kinds of travelers.
“We know that social media and marketing content within the travel industry hasn't always reflected the people and experiences that truly make up our global community,” says Kathleen Reidenbach, Kimpton's chief commercial officer. To respond to the survey’s findings, Kimpton says it has committed to develop content with more diverse and inclusive creators and experiences in its brand-level social media and marketing. Reidenbach explains that these are “brand commitments that will continue to change the way we work with creators, the imagery we share and the experiences we offer."
While social media has proven to be an invaluable tool for enhancing the travel experience, travelers – even digital natives in the Millennial and GenZ cohorts – will tell you that being there is more important than posting about being there. In another survey, more than 7 in 10 GenZ travelers (73 percent) said they prefer to focus on what is in front of them and enjoy the moment, rather than spending time taking photos for social media. Furthermore, the poll of nearly 22,000 travelers worldwide from Booking.com found over half of those surveyed (56 percent) said they believe that too much emphasis is placed on social media when traveling.
“Gen Zers are a generation of determined travelers, having mapped out their future travel plans already,” notes Ritu Mehrotra, Booking.com’s country manager for India, Sri Lanka and Maldives. “This first generation of digital natives are influenced by comfort and inspiration that technology brings to their travel.”
So while travelers may “like” what they see on social media, the travel brands that will win the online connections are the ones that feel genuine, respect the user’s boundaries and create a real sense of community.