How important is social media for cinching those booking orders in travel? While the statistics are all over the map and generally change by the day or by the moment of who or what is being asked, a new survey from Justfly.com says these channels are, indeed, well, influential. There is no doubt that Millennials and Gen Xers are ready to put their money down on a vacation at the glimpse of a friend having a really good time somewhere. As for boomers and those with disposable cash and time? Not so much.
A new survey by Justfly, an online travel agency, reached out to 2000 Americans for insight into the state of U.S. travel, specifically how travelers perceive and value social media platforms. Research shows that Facebook and YouTube are the most used social media platforms while Pinterest and TikTok are used the least, with usage being strongly driven by age.
While Facebook has been around longer than some other social media platforms, data shows it continues to effectively engage audiences, reaching almost half of Gen Z and more than 70% of older groups. Meanwhile, YouTube is used by two thirds of Gen Z, nearly as many Millennials and still attracts almost four in 10 Baby Boomers.
“Like most aspects of our lives, social media continues to play a bigger and bigger role in what drives our decision making process. It’s clear that travel is no different. Social media will continue to have a huge impact in determining how consumers determine when and where they will travel. Americans are often inspired by what they see on social media,” said Henri Chelhot, justfly.com CEO.
Sources of Inspiration
Social media also plays an important role in other aspects surrounding travel. Of those surveyed, 68% said they share photos of their trips on social media, with 53% aiming to inspire others through their posts. Despite the effects of social media, personal networks have a more substantial impact, as 65% cite friends and family as the key influencers in choosing travel destinations. This preference extends to selecting vacation activities, with 63% looking to their close contacts as their primary source for recommendations. Travel blogs and Instagram also serve as important resources, ranking in second and third place respectively.
Generational Perspectives
Data shows clear significant generational differences in using social media for travel searches and posts.
For younger generations, specifically Gen Z and Millennials, social media is a key element in their travel decision making process. This is evidenced by 81% of Gen Z and 75% of Millennials affirming they consider social media when choosing a travel destination. In contrast, for older generations, such as Generation X and Baby Boomers, social media isn’t as critical—50% of Generation X and 32% of Baby Boomers acknowledged its significance for their travel planning.
When asked about how the photos they will be able to post on social media impact their choices, Generation Z felt the most strongly of each group. 52% of Generation Z indicated that the ability to post photos on social media played a role in selecting their vacation destination. Millennials followed closely at 48% but Generation X and Baby Boomers had the lowest responses at 33% and 16% respectively.
“It is not shocking that Gen Z and Millennials share similar views on social media, as these two generations were raised with these platforms. While all age groups feel strongly about having a positive travel experience, Generation X and Baby Boomers are not driven by what they may or may not post on social media,” Chelhot stated. “We remain dedicated to travelers regardless of where they fall on this spectrum.”
The Arlo Challenge
The Arlo Hotel community is betting that millennials will become a new kind of travel agent for the brand and has created a new app to make this happen.
The independent, experience-driven lifestyle hotel brand with properties in New York, Miami and Chicago, and Washington D.C. launching in 2024, says it is further innovating the hospitality industry with the launch of their If You Arlo app. The unique loyalty program ushers in a new era of travel where traditional travel agents are superseded by social media agents composed of influencers, friends & family, and content creators who creatively drive bookings while earning perks along the way. Through the If You Arlo (IYA) app, influencers can share insider discounts and tips with their followers while being rewarded with credits, status, and surprise rewards at any of the Arlo Hotels.
“Social influencers are a new class of travel agents, but they have lacked the infrastructure to make it actionable – until now,” explains Jimmy Suh, chief commercial officer at Arlo Hotels. “Travel is tailor-made for socially driven commerce. Our aim with the If You Arlo app is to offer influencers an opportunity to capitalize on their passion for travel and Arlo Hotels. We recognize that many of our guests’ decisions stem from the folks they follow and trust, i.e. their social network. With the app, we can now understand who these folks are and reward them for it. We’re also very community-driven, and if we can offer our community a program to pay it forward by offering their friends and followers exclusive discounts, it’s a win-win.”
Independent, lifestyle hotels are at a disadvantage compared to big chain hotel brands as they do not have the distribution reach. Further, independent hotels rely heavily on online travel agents (OTAs) for much of their distribution. OTA’s do not offer the consumers the insight of the unique stay experiences that many of the lifestyle hotels, such as Arlo Hotels, offer to their guests. Social media can level the playing field between independent hotels and big chain brands while offering more relevant information about the hotels. If You Arlo app capitalizes on both opportunities and along the way paves a unique path to a powerful new distribution channel.
Potential Arlo “agents” can go to the Apple App Store (Google Play version coming later in 2024) and download the If You Arlo app. From there, one simply clicks on the “Join Waitlist” button and completes the profile information. Once approved, the agent can start sharing his/her unique IYA code and start collecting points towards future savings at any Arlo hotel and surprise rewards.
Get Social