Have you seen a sumptuous landscape on Instagram and it made you want it? You are not the only one ! Canadians use social media to find destination ideas, but also to share photos from their trip. Here are some highlights from this survey carried out among 2,000 Canadians in July 2023 and which has just been published.
Social networks, a source of inspiration
Thus, 66% of Canadians admit to using social networks as a source of inspiration to find activities for their stays.
Visiting places solely for the purpose of sharing them on social media? Some 45% of young Generation Z admit to doing so, and a quarter of them say they think the same way about choosing tourist activities. We see the generational gap: only 11% of baby boomers and 31% of members of Generation X report thinking about their posts on social networks when choosing a destination for their trip.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY FLIGHTHUB
Ramzi Rahbani, Vice President, Products and Platforms, FlightHub
We observe that social networks have become an essential factor in choosing a destination and travelers want to be connected as soon as they arrive so they can post photos.
Ramzi Rahbani, Vice President, Products and Platforms, FlightHub
Customers will choose activities that they have seen in Instagram posts. For example, they will book a culinary visit to a market in Istanbul, take a romantic cruise on the Seine or even go learn how to make pizza in Naples or pasta in Florence. “These are activities that we see on social networks and that we will want to do. Among the most popular destinations for Canadians are Paris, New York, London, Lisbon, Miami, Vancouver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Toronto and Orlando,” he explains.
My destination is more beautiful than yours
PHOTO DRAZEN, GETTY IMAGES
Copenhagen and its colorful houses are a coveted destination.
On social networks, beautiful photos are popular. Thus, 38% of millennials and 35% of members of generation Z choose their travel destination based on the photos they can share on social networks.
Similarly, 38% of millennials and Gen Zers choose their travel destinations to make friends and acquaintances envious. Unsurprisingly, these percentages are much lower among baby boomers (9%) and generation X (24%).
Isn’t it a little worrying to want to make people envious? “Choosing your destination and sharing beautiful photos is above all with the aim of inspiring people, at least among the youngest, but there is nothing malicious,” thinks Ramzi Rahbani, who reveals that ‘From 2025, more than 50% of travelers will be millennials. “Baby boomers also use social networks, not to post their travel photos, but to get information, because 71% of baby boomers use Facebook to look for information,” he notes. .
Friends and family, to give advice
PHOTO SVETIKD, GETTY IMAGES
View of New York
For 67% of Canadians, friends and family remain the primary source of inspiration for travel destinations, followed by travel blogs (42%). As for Quebecers, 56% of people, all generations combined, get inspiration from friends, while 27% turn to Facebook for ideas for activities and 15% to TikTok.
Friends and family still remain our first reference to give us advice and good addresses for our future trips, even if social networks are taking up more and more space.
Ramzi Rahbani, Vice President, Products and Platforms, FlightHub
Travel for incredible experiences
No less than 78% of Quebecers want to have experiences that are out of the ordinary when they travel, compared to 72% in the other provinces combined. “There are different categories of travel, we look for nature, culture, sport, well-being, gastronomy, and through all of this, we want to live extraordinary experiences that we will keep beautiful memories of. Moreover, 80% of travelers now plan their vacations at least three months in advance, which was not the case before (we booked around 38 days before departure).
Traveling has become more expensive, so we prefer to be better organized and do more in-depth research for unforgettable experiences,” concludes Mr. Rahbani.