Redes Sociais Redefinem Escolhas de Destinos de Ecoturismo
by Sydney Barrilleaux, University of Georgia
edited by Gaby Clark, reviewed by Andrew Zinin
This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:
New University of Georgia research suggests that social media could influence people's travel plans. The paper is published in the journal Current Issues in Tourism.
When people post photos and videos of their trips, they may not be using those posts just to update family and friends on what they're up to. They also enjoy it when their posts get many likes and comments.
The researchers found that social media influenced travel plans across all age groups, but millennials were the most affected. They were more likely to say that people who post about their travels are cool and that this coolness factor motivates them to go to those same places and post about their own travels to boost their social status.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, baby boomers were less drawn to similar posts and less likely to base their own trips on them.
"Whenever we post something on social media, we expect our peers to respond positively and give likes and comments to create some engagement with our posts," said Sabrina Rahman, the corresponding author of the study and a recent doctoral graduate from UGA's Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources. "That expectation of getting positive feedback is what we call 'social return,' and we practice it in our everyday lives without knowing it."
Millennials, Gen Z look for unique destinations
The publication includes three separate studies. Across all three studies, the research team, made up of Bynum Boley, Rahman and Zachary Russell, surveyed more than 2,000 participants across four age groups: baby boomers, Gen X, millennials and Gen Z.
The surveys asked whether people looked cool, popular and unique when they posted about their trips online. Possible destinations ranged from mainstream locations, such as France and places in the United States, to less common destinations, including Cuba and Slovenia. Participants were also asked whether they would go to those same vacation destinations based on the posts they saw.
Which destinations people found appealing depended on their age.
Baby boomers were drawn to posts about mainstream destinations such as France. Younger generations, especially Gen Z, gravitated toward posts about less common locales.
"Gen Z won't go with the flow. They're always looking for novelty or adventure," Rahman said. "Social media posts about some conventional destination won't change their travel plans that much."
Social media guides vacation planning in the digital age
Today, social media is entangled with how people plan and share their vacations. Not only can it provide inspiration and travel tips, but it can also influence where people choose to go.
"It's a relatively new phenomenon, but it's very relevant given that about two-thirds of the world's population are now social media users," Rahman said. "People look at travel blogs, posts and reviews before traveling, so how appealing we find those destinations on social media shapes our travel intentions. And based on what kind of positive feedback I might get, that anticipation can sometimes make us visit certain places or try a new restaurant."
B. Bynum Boley et al, Social return and travel intentions: the moderating role of generational cohorts, Current Issues in Tourism (2026). DOI: 10.1080/13683500.2026.2669626
Provided by University of Georgia
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