The brands getting travel content right on social media (and what we can learn)
Updated: Aug 5
How did you get inspired for your next holiday? Social media platforms are now the dominant discovery channel for travel, with 69 per cent of consumers choosing them over traditional search engines. The data is clear: travellers on social media are looking for peer-backed, authentic proof.
Over 75 percent of travellers are looking to social media platforms for inspiration. And we love to share our experience with others – 60 percent of us share holiday photos, while the hashtag #travel has 3.9 billion posts on Instagram.
Yet, despite this massive shift in consumer behaviour, many travel and hospitality brands still treat social media as an operational afterthought.
Here’s a sobering statistic: hospitality brands are responding to only six per cent of incoming messages and comments per day. In an industry built on service, ignoring guest dialogue at the top of the funnel directly degrades brand reputation and forfeits direct booking revenue.
A passive, haphazard social presence is no longer sufficient. You need a good travel social media strategy to stay on top. And it needs to be backed up by imaginative travel copywriting and atmospheric visual storytelling—content designed to captivate audiences, convey authentic guest experiences, and turn casual scrollers into high-value direct bookers.
Which social media channels work well?
Each social media platform reaches different kinds of audiences. They also have different functionalities, letting you use them in a variety of ways to attract your ideal customers.
The benchmark channel for aspirational travel and lifestyle positioning. Instagram Reels and Stories allow brands to showcase property atmosphere, culinary craft, and destination allure through short-form video. It is also the epicentre of creator collaborations: over 60 per cent of Instagram users are aged between the ages of 18 and 35, and research shows that 50 per cent of them put their trust in influencer recommendations over traditional display ads.
TikTok
The primary engine for spontaneous visual discovery. TikTok users represent high travel intent - nearly 80 per cent plan international travel within six months, rising to over 90 per cent. The platform rewards authentic, peer-to-peer storytelling, insider property tours, and experiential teasers. Crucially, 70 per cent of users report being more influenced by organic creator content than polished corporate campaigns.
Facebook commands one of the broadest demographic cross-sections in digital media, spanning active users from 18 to 54 years old. Beyond community building, its targeting algorithm makes it an exceptionally effective platform for direct-response performance campaigns, multi-generational family targeting, and driving traffic to your blog posts and travel content writing.
X (formerly Twitter)
A real-time conversational channel built for public relations, industry discourse, and responsive customer service. Despite concise formatting constraints, X maintains a strong conversion rate of 0.77 per cent. Real-time engagement here directly impacts commercial performance - McKinsey research shows customers spend 20-40 per cent more with brands that actively resolve customer service inquiries on social platforms.
A visual discovery engine where travel planning begins months before a reservation is placed. With more than 70 million travel-focused users, Pinterest "pins" enjoy a far longer lifecycle than ephemeral social posts, serving as an evergreen digital mood board that drives high-intent referral traffic directly to your direct booking engine.
The takeaway
Stop cross-posting identical copy across all feeds. Use TikTok and Reels for sensory discovery, Facebook for targeted performance campaigns, and Pinterest for long-lead trip planning.
Your social media impact matrix
Platform | Primary objective | Core content format | Funnel stage | Commercial impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Lifestyle & brand positioning | Reels, atmospheric Stories | Inspiration & intent | Protects ADR & brand value | |
TikTok | Discovery & viral reach | Short-form POV, behind-the-scenes | Top-of-funnel discovery | Drives high-volume search |
Demographic targeting & traffic | Long-form video, editorial links | Mid-funnel retargeting | High direct conversion | |
X (Twitter) | Crisis management & guest service | Real-time responses, PR updates | Mid/post-stay service | Boosts guest lifetime value |
Long-lead trip planning | Evergreen destination pins | Early discovery | High-intent organic traffic |
The brands getting it right
Below, we examine five market-leading travel brands using strategic travel content writing and creative storytelling to build global brand equity - and break down the core takeaways for hotel operators.
Expedia
As one of the world's largest online travel platforms, Expedia excels at using sensory social content to reduce booking friction. It masters evocative Instagram Reels by pairing POV (Point-of-View) footage - such as sipping cocktails at panoramic rooftop bars or relaxing in cliffside infinity pools - with clear emotional hooks and price comparisons on a gorgeous tropical island.
Expedia also leverages drone videography to deliver dramatic, cinematic perspectives that stand out in crowded feeds. On TikTok, the brand adapts seamlessly to short-form culture, producing punchy city guides, budget comparisons, and viral travel hacks that capture top-of-funnel search intent.
The takeaway
Frame property assets through first-person POV footage rather than static interior photography. Guests don't want to look at an empty room, they want to project themselves into the experience.
Lonely Planet is one of the biggest travel content producers in the world. It successfully transitioned its five-decade legacy as a print guidebook pioneer into a digital storytelling powerhouse. Commanding an Instagram community of over three million followers, the brand maintains global narrative authority.
Instead of merely broadcasting information, Lonely Planet drives high engagement by crowdsourcing community insights. Prompts like “What is the most breathtaking sunset you've ever witnessed?” transform passive followers into active co-creators, scaling organic reach while cementing the brand's position as the definitive travel guide.
The takeaway
Engagement algorithms reward dialogue. Use open-ended, highly relatable questions in your captions to encourage comment threads that expand your organic reach.
If you want a lesson in using travel social media to build trust among your audience, Airbnb has done it better than almost any other tourism company. Connecting people from all over the world and convincing them to let strangers stay in their homes? That’s no easy task. And yet, since launching in 2008, Airbnb has literally changed the landscape of how we travel through radical transparency and authentic narrative building.
Airbnb focuses its social media and travel content on human-centric, behind-the-scenes content. By showcasing the unique architectural design of individual properties, highlighting host stories, and publishing guides on hosting best practices, Airbnb uses storytelling to foster deep emotional resonance and community advocacy. Despite a recent backlash due to unintended consequences of overtourism and overpriced housing, Airbnb continues to attract travellers with compelling social media content across TikTok, Instagram, and others.
The takeaway
Authenticity beats slick corporate production every time. Highlight the human craft, architectural details, and unique stories behind your property to build trust and eliminate booking anxiety.
Aviation giant Emirates demonstrates how a premium global brand can balance aspirational luxury with human authenticity across multiple channels.
Through its multi-platform #BeThere, campaign, Emirates pioneered Employee-Generated Content (EGC), empowering cabin crew and ground staff to share behind-the-scenes travel moments from around the globe. This unscripted authenticity on TikTok and Instagram is complemented by polished aspirational travel social media posts on Facebook, ensuring the brand engages both next-generation travellers and high-yielding premium cabin bookers.
The takeaway
Empower your frontline hotel team - from head chefs to concierges - to star in short-form content. Employee-generated content humanises luxury brands and builds rapport before the guest arrives.
Global tourism group TUI provides a masterclass in modern brand evolution and channel segmentation. Facing major industry shifts, TUI launched its 'Live Happy' positioning—re-orienting its social messaging around emotional uplift, playful energy, and memorable guest moments.
It uses TikTok to engage younger demographics through interactive partnerships, such as promoting its Amazon Prime series The World Cook. To maintain relevance without confusing its audience, TUI operates a localised social media and travel brand strategy, with Instagram accounts for specific regional markets, allowing country teams to tailor messaging to local cultural nuances while remaining aligned with core brand governance.
The takeaway
For expanding multi-property hotel groups, establish localised property handles for destination-specific messaging while maintaining a central parent account for overarching brand governance.
The takeaway
A successful social media presence is never built on sporadic posting or generic promotional ads. It requires strategic discipline, compelling travel content writing, and a deep understanding of channel dynamics.
When executed effectively, social media functions as the visual opening chapter of your guest experience - igniting wanderlust, establishing trust, and guiding travellers directly to your booking engine rather than high-commission third-party OTAs.
At Peregry, we work with travel brands on everything from brand messaging through to creative content across websites and social media. We help you to inspire and inform today’s travellers — and ultimately to win those all-important direct bookings. Get in touch with Peregryn, the creative content agency with the imagination, knowledge, and expertise to take travel brands to the next level.
