Having trouble deciding where to go on vacation? Turn to social media. Social media users are automatically influenced by the accounts that they follow when deciding where and why to go on a particular vacation.
“For those who are completely absorbed by the selfie phenomena, determining an ideal vacation spot is no easy task. Gone are the days when temperature and climate took precedence in choosing a travel destination. Today, a new kind of selection process is upon us, one heavily regulated by the proliferation of social media and the ability to instantly share every aspect of visiting a certain part of the country/world.”- Kevin Deegan
People are now selecting vacations for the social return aspect that their photos will establish. This is because vacation experiences must now include feed-friendly moments. These moments have to be ones that can be captured and shared instantly across social media.
“Potential vacation goers are attracted to specific destinations with the allure of increasing their influence among their social followers. (After all who doesn’t love a few Instagram likes?) For example, the appeal of sharing your vacation to Fiji while paddle boarding among dolphins resonates with potential vacation goers far more than a trip to see antiquated statues in Hungary. Thus, specific locations are being booked far quicker than others, simply because social media is playing a factor in the decision making.”- Kevin Deegan
Travelers are also choosing to book vacations with different hospitality companies because they offer experiences for guests to capitalize on their selfies. One hotel is Paris offers special trips for its guests to go on an adventure around town. They take them to the perfect selfie spots so guests can take photos and instantly upload them to social media.
Did you know… animals are also influencing where we go on vacations as well? A destination in Australia that is home to the quokka has lured in hundreds on thousands of tourists because everyone wants to take a selfie with this creature’s cute and photogenic smile. Until recently, few people outside of Australia have heard of this animal but now everyone is booking their trips to go and meet them. 
Why It’s Hot
Although we are aware of the trend that selfies have taken throughout the past couple of years, now we can see that they are impacting where we travel to. Travelers are actively searching through their social media accounts for destination hot spots that engage well with other user. Knowing this, people are going to great length to capture a selfie that depicts the essence of their vacation. “Selfies that users view on their feed, depicting a cool location or attraction, actually act as a catalyst for viewers to travel to that particular destination. It’s a selfie world these days, we’re all just living in it and traveling through it.”- Kevin Deegan