How has social media changed the way we experience and see our world? For better or worse, social media is changing the game for the travel industry.
As any modern-day Instagram scroller knows, social media is constantly showing us beautiful images of places we’ve never been. Ads for travel businesses and study/volunteer programs are always popping up on my feed. But on the other hand, influencers jetting off to new locations is also a predominant theme in my Instagram algorithm. I started to wonder; has social media increased people’s wanderlust and helped the travel industry, or has it made people feel as if they don’t need to get out there because they can easily see all the views from their phone?
I plan to speak with a travel professional and maybe a travel blogger to get their thoughts on how social media has changed the game when it comes to seeing and experiencing the world. Since I have links with Texas Lifestyle Magazine, a local travel publication, I should be able to speak with someone from there to gain insight on how they have shifted their focus to social media and how they think it impacts the travel industry. I also have connections with some Instagram travel bloggers, so I will reach out to them to get their perspective as well. I feel like there is a common misconception people have about travel journalists and influencers– that they are essentially the same. Through my article and interviews, I hope to be able to clear this confusion as well. Hopefully I will be able to contact people who hold both of these professions so I can get two different views on the topic.
I have researched a few sources that also will be helpful to my story:
https://firstmonday.org/ojs/index.php/fm/article/download/4887/4098
https://www.travelpulse.com/news/features/how-the-decades-rise-of-social-media-changed-travel.html
https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Travel-Technology/social-media-influencers
https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/travel-influencers/index.html
https://travelfreak.com/social-media-tips-for-travel-bloggers/