35+ Stats on How Social Media Affects Travel [2023]

There’s no question about it:

Social media has a ripple effect on many aspects of our lives, including travel. 

So much so that many have started to choose travel destinations based on how “Instagrammable” the pics will be.

That’s why at Passport Photo Online, we’ve decided to compile the most recent and valuable statistics on how social media shapes tourists’ choices in 2023.

Let’s dive in.

Top 10 Social Media vs. Travel Statistics to Know in 2023

1. 89% of US vacationers checked social media during their most recent leisurely trip.
2. Over half of travelers (55%) spend between 30 and 120 minutes daily on social media.
3. 46% of Americans want to make followers jealous with their travel experience.
4. Almost six in 10 travelers (58%) believe frequent social media use negatively impacted their most recent vacation.
5. 40% of Millennials pick travel destinations based on how Instagrammable the pics will be.
6. 52% of travelers decided to visit a specific destination after seeing its images/videos from friends, family, or peers on social media.
7. Over half of vacationers (60%) post photos on social media while away. When it comes to Millenials specifically, that number rises to 97%.
8. Friends’ photos on Facebook influence over 50% of users’ travel plans.
9. Every week, 1M+ travel-related hashtags are searched on Instagram.
10. 70% of Americans update their Facebook status while on vacation.

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General Social Media vs. Travel Stats

• 69% of the worldwide population uses social media platforms for travel-related needs.

• Over 37% use social media specifically for travel inspiration.

• In 2015, Justin Bieber filmed a music video for “I’ll Show You” at the Fjadrárgljúfur canyon in Iceland—a few years later, tourism to the once-sleepy town nearly doubled.
• Instagram has over 300M+ posts with the word “travel” in them.

• Instagram is the top source of travel inspiration for Gen Zers.
• 76% of people who scroll social media for travel say it’s made them want to travel more.
• 86% have grown interested in traveling to a specific destination after seeing its images in their feeds.
• Nearly half of Americans (45%) say friends’ social images are the most influential factor when choosing a restaurant at a travel destination.
• Over 57% of people have made plans to dine at a given restaurant based on images/videos in their feed.
• A quarter of Gen Zers take 50+ pics daily while on vacation. Of those, 40% share them on social media.
• Nearly half of Gen Zers (45%) trust influencers’ travel recommendations.
• 43% of Gen Zers are interested in destinations that look good in pictures.

• 20% of global travelers choose a place to stay that they could style in photos to make it look more expensive.
• Over a quarter of global travelers (26%) like unique accommodation options, as they can help them stand out from the crowd.
• A little over half of travelers (53%) avoid booking hotels that don’t have reviews on social media.

• Over half of future travelers (52%) have liked a Facebook page associated with their destination.
• Over 50% of hotels have a booking engine or widget on their Facebook page to ease booking.
• 38% of Americans use social media to blog about their travel experiences.

• A little over 30% of people track their social media posts’ interactions while on vacation.
• 39% of travelers check in at cool places.

• Over 72% of travelers post vacation photos on social media.

• Just under 40% of global luxury travelers will place more emphasis on social media when traveling in the coming year.
• Over half of global luxury travelers (55%) believe capturing social media content while away helps them enjoy a more meaningful experience.

Stacking It All Up

There you have it.

A comprehensive list of social media vs. travel stats and facts for 2023 you can use to better understand the effect of social media platforms on travelers’ decision-making.

Let us know in the comments if there are any other statistics you’d like to see.

Fair Use Statement

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Sources

• BankMyCell, “Digital Detox on Vacation”
• Booking.com, “For the Feed: Booking.com Explores How Social Media Is Influencing Our Alternative Accommodation Choice”
• Booking.com, “Gen Z and Social Media: It’s Complicated”
• Carter E., “Social Media, Mobile, and Travel: Like, Tweet, and Share Your Way across the Globe”
• Cision, “Americans Spent 176 Hours Scrolling Social Media for Travel Inspiration This Year, Data Reveals”
• Deloitte, “Social? That’s for Consumers. For Travel Companies, Social Media Means Business”
• ForeverVacation, “How Social Media Is Changing the Way We Travel (By the Numbers)”
• Gururaja R., “Impact of Social Media on Tourism and Hospitality”
• Lane L., “The Effect Of Social Media On Luxury Travel, And How To Improve Experiences: New Global Study”
• Machado K., “The Good (And Bad) Impacts Of Social Media On The Way We Now Travel”
• MDG Advertising, “Vacationing the Social Media Way”
• Schofields, “Holiday Destination Chosen Based on How ‘Instagrammable’ the Holiday Pics Will Be”
• Stackla, “Bridging the Gap: Consumer & Marketing Perspectives on Content in the Digital Age”
• Statista, “How Do You Typically Use Your Mobile Phone to Find Inspiration or Ideas on Where to Travel?”
• Sweeney E., “Study: Just 15% Of Consumers Say Social Channels Influence Travel Choices”
• Wex, “US Travel Trends 2019 Report”
• Woolf M., “Smartphone Use On Vacation [2022 Study]”

Max Woolf

As a Digital PR specialist and a member of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), Max has 5+ years of writing experience.
Over the course of his career, Max’s work has garnered significant attention, with features in numerous prominent publications such as The New York Times, Forbes, Inc., Business Insider, Fast Company, Entrepreneur, BBC, TechRepublic, Glassdoor, and G2.