Social Media Marketing Tips for Travel Brands
Thursday 9th October 2025
by Beth Perrin
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Autumn has arrived and that means people are starting to plan their upcoming holidays - either to escape the colder weather and darker nights, or to get excited for spring and summer 2026.
With roughly 69% of consumers agreeing that they use social platforms for their travel-related needs, and almost 90% becoming interested in visiting a destination after seeing images of it online, it’s clear to see the impact of social media on travel planning. If you’re hoping to boost your social media marketing efforts for your hotel, B&B, holiday cottage or tourist attraction, take note of our top tips for travel brands below!
Collaborate with Influencers
84% of social media users report that they consult travel influencers for holiday recommendations, with a further 19% confirming that they do so often, demonstrating how influencer collaborations can give your travel business a huge push. Especially in today’s marketing world, where authenticity and relatability are two of the most valued characteristics by modern consumers, partnering with a much-loved figure on social media who can promote and advocate for your brand will help humanise your business and give it a personal touch.
Nano (1k–10k followers) and micro-influencers (10k–100k followers) are generally considered the most effective due to their close-knit, highly engaged communities. They’re also seen as more trustworthy as a result of being better at ‘keeping it real’ and creating more down-to-earth content compared to their larger, celebrity-style counterparts.
It’s always best to do some investigative work before reaching out to an influencer to make sure they’re the right fit for your brand, and that the travel content they post will represent your business in the way you want it to be perceived.
Share UGC to Show Real Experiences
86% of people say they’ve wanted to visit a specific location as a result of UGC (user generated content), so make sure to regularly request and share photos and videos taken by your visitors. In fact, as many as 92% of customers say they trust UGC more than traditional advertising materials due to its legitimacy - and the fact that it’s shared by regular people just like them.
Launching a brand-specific hashtag that your guests can use in their posts and keeping an eye on your geotag are two great ways to collect UGC. Keep reading to learn more about hashtags and geotags in a moment!
Share Interactive Content
Your social pages shouldn’t just be a place for directly promoting bookings - you should also incorporate fun, interactive content into your strategy. Polls are a great way to make your audience feel involved and to hear their thoughts about various travel-related topics, which can ultimately help you shape future business decisions. You can create polls on X and Instagram Stories.
Research and Include Relevant Hashtags
Hashtags may not be as popular and effective in 2025 as they once were, but including a small selection of them in your content can still be beneficial for brand discovery and content categorisation.
For travel brands, it’s a good idea to mix a few industry-wide hashtags with some that are more specific to your niche or location. By doing this, your content will not only get seen by users who like to browse popular tags, but also by those who prefer to scroll through smaller ones. Here are some examples from Instagram:
Broad/generic:
• #travel
• #tourism
• #holiday
• #hotel
Medium:
• #HolidayCottage
• #TravelIndustry
• #FamilyHolidays
Niche/location-specific:
• #NorthDevonHotel
• #DogFriendlyCottage
• #DaysOutInDevon
Post Bright, High-Quality Photos
It’s unlikely anyone will want to visit your location if your social media pages are full of dark, blurry or low-resolution images. 40% of consumers under the age of 30 admit that they will even choose a destination based on its ‘Instagrammability’, so making sure that you are regularly taking and sharing high-quality photos should be a key consideration within your social strategy.
If you’re based in the UK, we know that outdoor imagery can be tricky as the Great British weather isn’t always on our side! Scheduling a photoshoot during the summer season is your best bet for snapping some sunny shots - or alternatively, you can take advantage of the colder months and cloudy skies to create a cosy getaway aesthetic. This can work perfectly for holiday cottages and lodges, and is sure to boost autumn and winter bookings.
Add and Monitor Nearby Geotags
Geotags are the geographical locations you often see beside or below a person’s username on a post on social media (or as a sticker on their Story). When you click or tap on a geotag, you’ll be taken to a page where you can see all of the posts that have been tagged there, and on some platforms, a map displaying where it is.
On Instagram in particular, posts tagged with a location receive 79% more engagement than those without, so it’s definitely worth adding one to your content - whether that’s the specific location of your business, or just your town, city or county.
As well as adding them to your own posts, monitoring nearby geotags will add a new dimension to your social listening. Doing so will enable you to see what visitors to your local area are saying online so that you can spark up conversations and introduce your brand to newcomers.
Promote Your Best Offers, Deals & Discounts
This might seem like an obvious one - but if you’re running a special offer on your website or are having an exclusive sale, don’t forget to shout about it on social media! 76% of consumers find coupons through social media, and 83% of people say they are either “somewhat likely” or “very likely” to click an ad offering a promotion online.
Discounted annual passes and rewards for returning visitors are another excellent tool for enticing guests back to your location after their initial trip, with 79% of travellers claiming that loyalty programs are one of the main reasons they choose specific airlines or hotel brands.
Let Your Reviews Shine
If your business or venue has received some great reviews lately on a platform like Tripadvisor, Google or Booking.com, don’t keep them hidden away! Share them onto your social media pages to celebrate your successes and let prospective guests know about the excellent experiences other visitors have had.
A massive 96% of travellers consider reviews important during the research phase of planning a holiday, making customer feedback a huge social proof indicator. Don’t forget to check out our review management service to see how we can track and respond to your guests’ reviews all year round.
Use Stories to Inspire Urgency
The here-and-now nature of Stories on social media makes them a fantastic tool for inspiring urgency and letting your audience know what’s happening presently. They’re an essential element of what’s known as ‘moment marketing’ - the process of creating communications and marketing materials surrounding ongoing events and current experiences, with the aim of reminding customers that they’ll miss out if they don’t take action soon.
Over 500 million Instagrammers use Stories daily, so your travel brand is missing a trick if you’re not leveraging them. Here are some ideas for content you can share on your Story:
• A special event that’s taking place in your area
• An sneak preview of a refurbishment or new addition to your location
• A behind-the-scenes look at your hotel restaurant
• Meet the team or staff member milestones
• Weather/seasonal changes at your location
Environmental Considerations
As a business owner in the tourism industry, it’s important to remain conscious of your brand’s impact on the environment. 74% of customers think travel companies should offer more sustainable choices, with transport providers being the biggest target - around 40% of travellers say they would be willing to pay more for a lower emission flight, for example.
Where possible, take time to promote any efforts being made by your brand to make travel and tourism more environmentally friendly, and remind potential customers of the ways they’ll be supporting your mission if they choose to travel with you. Back up your claims with real-life stats and figures, or consider creating an infographic that shows the positive impact your business is making, either nationally or globally.
TikTok Travel Ads
If your travel business is active on TikTok, check out the platform’s brand new ad type, Travel Ads, which are designed to help marketers tap into TikTok’s highly engaged and aspirational audience, by showcasing relevant offers and travel options in the app. Each ad will feature a clickable travel card with relevant information such as your hotel name and ratings, pricing, flight information and discounts, helping travellers make informed decisions as they plan their trips. You can learn more about TikTok Travel Ads in our previous blog post!
Summary
Marketing your travel brand on social media doesn’t need to feel overwhelming - with a fun and creative strategy in place that combines influencer partnerships, UGC, ads and organic content, you’ll be able to use social platforms to your advantage and draw plenty of new visitors to your location. If you’re struggling to gain customers, provide prompt customer service or facilitate holiday bookings, get in touch today to find out how our dedicated community management and customer service teams can assist you this autumn.
