A new survey of UK holidaymakers has found that 11% rely on recommendations from influencers on social media platforms like Instagram and Youtube.
Among young people, aged 18-24, almost a quarter turn to influencers for travel inspiration.
However, 63% of those who follow influencers say they promote holidays that are out of their budget, with a quarter saying the trips they see are thousands of pounds too expensive.
Some 23% say influencer’s content lacks transparency around costs, making it feel impractical and unattainable.
The online survey, carried out by YouGov among more than 2,000 adults in early November, found that instead, 20% of them turn to travel agents for advice, 20% used TripAdvisor, while 17% got their inspiration from travel magazines and articles, 14% from TV adverts and 12% from mobile apps.
Reddit, the news and discussion website, was relied upon for advice by 11% of those researching holidays.
“These findings reveal that travellers seek a balance between trust, variety, and expertise, valuing personal recommendations (46%) alongside visually engaging and candid advice,” said Elliott Clayton, Managing Director, International of marketing firm Epsilon.
“For brands, the key is working out which channels matter for your audience while combining personal connections, storytelling, and trusted content.”
While the New Year remains a key booking period – with Nationwide stating that there were more than two million transactions last January – the YouGov survey showed that just 7% typically book in the first month of the year.
“It’s clear that the scale of opportunity for travel brands throughout the rest of the year is enormous,” added Elliott.
Some 33% of those who responded to the survey said they opt for ‘cost-effective’ versions of the trips they see online, while 24% say they are seeking lesser-known destinations.
Announcing its end-of-year results this week, TUI ageed that customers are seeking alternative, cheaper destinations to long-time favourites like Spain.
CEO Sebastian Ebel said: “We do see a shift in destinations, more people in winter are going to Egypt, in summer there is high demand for Bulgaria, Tunisia and also for Egypt,” he said, adding that favourite Spanish destinations such as Majorca are full in the summer, while the Canary Islands is full in the winter.
“There are a lot of customers who are very happy to spend their money with us on the four- and five-star segment, and this is a very stable segment, but on the other hand we also see quite often new customers who have less income but they still want to travel, they have a budget of £800-£1,000 per vacation and if they don’t see it in Spain then they find alternatives,” he said.
As part of its rebrand, unveiled today, Kuoni has been adding more affordable destinations, such as Turkey and the Dominican Republic, in a bid to attract more new customers, including families.
