The Instagrammability factor
As an avid traveller, a travel blogger and a media strategist, I have a keen interest in the way the travel industry is developing globally and in Pakistan. The fact of the matter is that there has been a remarkable and visible shift in consumer behaviour. Firstly, people are now making travel a priority in the decision-making process of how they want to spend their disposable income and secondly, both social media and the smartphone have had a huge impact in changing this behaviour.
These changes started becoming apparent in the 2010s. In Pakistan, they started with a small number of Facebook groups offering tours to Pakistan’s northern areas. They quickly became immensely popular due to the convenience they offered of being able to plan a trip in advance, further bolstered by the photos, ratings and reviews provided, ensuring that the trip would be a worthwhile investment. In 2010, organic reach was still achievable with virtually no marketing investment and posts by these tour operators would land on the timelines of thousands of people. A few first-movers opted to take these tours, sharing pictures and reviews, thereby creating a successful snowball effect. Today there are hundreds of operators offering tours all over Pakistan.
Globally, the trend was driven by travel bloggers, who inspired more and more people to travel every year (with well-known bloggers acting as strong influencers). In fact, their envy-worthy Instagram feeds with picture-perfect photographs, inspired a new generation of digital nomads – people who like to travel and work remotely from their laptops as they do so.
It is no surprise that the largest segment of these travellers are the Millennials – the demographic born between 1980 and 2000. According to a study by Goldman Sachs, spending priorities among them differ vastly from their predecessors. They opt to delay investing in cash-heavy assets such as homes and cars, opting instead to spend on services such as Uber and CouchSurfing, or on experiences such as vacations and road trips.
According to the UN, at present, almost 0.2 million Millennial tourists generate more than $180 billion in tourism revenue every year – representing an increase of nearly 30% since 2007. For brands in the travel industry, this is great news. What is even better is that Millennials consider seeing the world as an intrinsic part of their lives, choosing to splurge on experiences over things. Compared to the previous generation, 23% are more interested in travelling abroad and account for 20% of all international tourists.