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Our holiday ideas come from TV shows and movies, not Instagram

Only 7% of Britons get most of their travel ideas from social media influencers. A quarter of Britons get holiday inspiration from TV programmes and movies. One in five Gen Z holidaymakers turn to brochures for inspiration.

Research shows that social media influencers and bloggers on sites like Instagram are in decline as a source of holiday inspiration: only 7% of UK holidaymakers said this was their main source of ideas when thinking about travel.

By comparison, TV programmes and movies are one of the biggest sources of inspiration for British travellers (25% say so, rising to 31% of millennials and 29% of Gen Z). However, only 14% of Britons are influenced by traditional TV adverts and only 10% look to social media ads as their main source for ideas.

Whilst the figures are damning for social media, millennials are still engaged by the likes of Instagram and Snapchat. A fifth (20%) of travellers aged 25-35 say that social media influencers are their main source of travel inspiration, but the figure plummeted to just 7% among Gen Z.

It’s a similar story for social media advertising: 23% of millennials said it influenced them, but only 9% of Gen Z, demonstrating the growing divide amongst these two youth audiences and their use of social.

The survey of 2,000 UK adults was commissioned by creative and media agency eight&four, which works with a wide range of travel and leisure brands.

Caroline Brosnan, head of marketing at eight&four, said: “Netflix and other streaming sites present a wealth of programming content that showcases desirable locations. Consumers of all ages are tuning in and feeling inspired to travel to these places. It suggests travel brands should consider more innovative ways of using TV shows to reach mass audiences, whether that’s through product placement or editorial.”

Anna Fawcett, global head of marketing at Topdeck Travel adds: “The clear divide on attitudes to social media shows the cyclical nature of generations. It also shows the decline in the social influencer space, despite our continuing addiction to digital media. It ebbs and flows, so just as TV gave way to streaming, social media will give way to something else.”

The research also showed the increasing influence of physical media and ‘real people’. Gen Z is driving this trend, as 29% of those aged 18-24 look to their friends and family for holiday ideas and 20% use physical brochures. When booking a holiday, 27% of Gen Z believe face-to-face travel agents are more personal.

The biggest source of inspiration overall for UK consumers is online reviews, with a quarter (26%) using tips and recommendations from others to inform their own plans. The least popular source was radio, chosen by only 6% of holidaymakers.

Brosnan added: “Online reviews still top the list for the majority of UK travel consumers looking for holidays. The reassurance provided by other travellers that you’re choosing the right destination and places to book is hard to find elsewhere.

“In the end, it all comes down to trust. People want to know that their holiday experience will be what they signed up for. If influencers want to attract Gen Z, they need to be authentic and trustworthy to be more effective in inspiring travel decisions.”

Co-Founder & Chief Editor - TravelDailyNews Media Network | Website | + Posts

Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.

She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.

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