Author: Mintel Group Ltd.
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Social Media in Tourism - March 2016
Introduction
 
“Social media has profoundly changed how people research and plan trips and how they share travel experiences. It is used at various points during the travel lifecycle, but the extent to which it is used is shaped by different factors.”

Billions of consumers all over the world depend on social-media platforms to communicate with one another, to share and gather information and to be entertained. Since the first social networks began to emerge in the mid-nineties, the evolution of digital technology has given way to a variety of social platforms, transforming how people conduct their lives. Rising mobile penetration and widespread adoption of smartphones has rapidly bolstered the appeal of social media, putting it in the hands of users anywhere they go. 

Almost one third (31%) of the global population use social media, equivalent to 2.3 billion social-media users, according to We Are Social. Social platforms are used by consumers of all ages, although it is no surprise that younger audiences, the Millennials, are among the biggest users of social media. Facebook, the world’s largest social-media network, has some 1.59 billion monthly active users globally, of which 90% connect to the site via a mobile device. Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and Pinterest are other leading social platforms, but perhaps the most dynamic set are the mobile messaging apps such as WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger and Snapchat. The ability to have private communications is attracting more users towards messaging apps, notably among Millennials who are always looking for something new to experiment with. 

Tourism is an industry that is built on word of mouth and social media has only amplified the way in which consumers talk about and share their travel experiences. Travellers enjoy the chance to share their travel stories in video, picture or word format, providing a rich source of inspiration and content for other potential travellers. Social media plays a very compelling role in the travel lifecycle, acting as a source of inspiration and a key tool when travellers are in the research and planning phase. Travellers seek out compelling and engaging content and are making more use of multimedia content such as video to help them in the decision-making process. 

There is strong recognition by the tourism industry of using social media to connect with travellers, but finding the best strategy is a work in progress for most in this fast-changing landscape. Tourism brands across the industry are taking advantage of social media to engage with travellers. Social media plays an important part in most marketing campaigns and can be hugely beneficial at reaching international audiences. It is also well used by airlines and other organisations for customer service and support. 

Tourism brands pushing the boundaries with social media include KLM, Tourism Australia, Turkish Airlines, Marriott International, Airbnb and VisitBritain. Tourism brands have embraced social media by creating brand profiles on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and LinkedIn. Blogs are also a very popular social platform used by tourism brands to converse with customers, normally located on the company website. Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube are highly visual platforms and very useful to destination marketers and other tourism brands looking to inspire travellers. 

The content used to engage travellers on each social platform is critical to success and this varies considerably by brand. Professionally produced and user-generated content (UGC) are both considered important, although the latter appears to be better at engaging travellers for longer. Reading stories of where others have travelled and seeing imagery from their trips is perceived as a much more authentic type of content and is more appealing to the traveller. Tourism Australia relies completely on its audience to populate the content of its Facebook and Instagram accounts, attracting over 6 million and 2 million followers respectively. 

This report looks at the following areas:

●	How many people use social media around the world?
●	How is social media used by travellers throughout the travel lifecycle?
●	What are the leading global social-media platforms?
●	How are tourism organisations using social media?
●	Who are some of the most successful tourism brands on social media?

Definition: For the purposes of this report, social media encapsulates all websites and applications that enable users to share content or to participate in social networking. Social-media platforms therefore encompass social-media networks, video, chat/hangout, messaging apps, blogs and online review sites.

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