Book Your Flight and Login to Instagram
So, you’re planning a trip. Before we book our flight and confirm our hostels, how do we find our travel inspiration? Word of mouth? Or your bucket list? Sure, but don’t forget that Instagram, Snapchat, and Wordpress have become some of the few platforms we now engage with to narrow down our bucket list and plan the ideal trip.
Social media has changed our perspective on travel because it makes us feel more connected. It has disrupted what traditional travelling used to be by enabling us to create a much more personalized experience, while also creating a community for travellers. When engaging with these platforms, we are able to learn and find inspiration through other’s stories.
Personally, I start planning my travels with Instagram. I search for hashtags, looking for the accounts that are most in tune with my travel style and budget. One of the most useful hashtags I use is #instapassport. This hashtag provides three vital areas that are important to social media’s purpose with travel. First, it provides us with a Snapchat-esque story that allows Instagram users who use the hashtag in their stories to be part of a universal #instapassportstory for everyone searching to view. By doing so, you are able to see unique perspectives from other travellers and view their account to see where else they are going or have been. Next, you are provided a grid of pictures and how many how many posts are associated with this hashtag. By being able to have this option, you can see if this is a trip you want to take part in. Finally, you are able to see other relatable hashtags that are along the same page as your first one.
To engage more in your personal interests, there are hashtags that cater towards specific travel lifestyles. For example, #vanlifediaries and #snorkelaroundtheworld provide travellers with unique experiences. We can find inspiration through these hashtags, that can motivate us to follow a similar path, or to create something using the same style. Thanks to the experience of like-minded travellers, we can follow social media accounts that align with our trip and travel style. It’s exciting to know that we have access to a multitude of international information at our fingertips. With a swipe or a double tap, we are able to identify what hostels look most comfortable and which restaurants appeal to our tastebuds. And, we shouldn’t downplay how following others who are travelling in a fashion similar to ours makes us feel connected while still being nomadic. Even if we don’t personally know the traveller, we are able to follow their adventures and read a more in depth perspective from someone who is in the same position as you are.
To inspire your next bucketlist, look beyond the traditional means of trip planning. Whether you are taking a gap year or taking your first step in backpacking, social media has positively altered the way in which we perceive travelling. I urge you to do independent research and uncover cities and experiences through your own social media platforms. And maybe, throughout your trip, your Instagram can inspire another traveller.
