Jorge Coromina

The tourism of the future and user-generated content

"If it wasn't posted on social media, did it happen? While this statement may not apply to all of life's events, when it comes to travel, I think we've all been guilty of sharing a photo or two of a great destination we've been lucky enough to visit.

So it stands to reason that very few people book a holiday or hotel without doing their research, and increasingly, that means going beyond reviews to look for photos and videos that their friends or other consumers have posted online.

This authentic, visual, user-generated content, shared on social networks such as TikTok, Instagram and others, is becoming a central element of how travel companies promote themselves (and those that don't already do so should start doing so in earnest). And Google's recent plans to integrate user-generated content into search results through its upcoming Perspectives feature only underscores the important role user-generated content plays in a person's discovery experience.

User-generated content has become so popular because it provides social proof while saving brands money, as they can supplement professional photo shoots with a continuous stream of quality content that keeps their marketing fresh and engaging.

But most importantly, it drives conversions compared to other types of content. UGC grabs the attention of viewers and buyers. It stands out, is more relatable and can be a marketer's best friend. Wow! 

That's why more and more travel brands are incorporating UGC into their marketing strategies. But there are plenty of opportunities to go beyond the basics and get even more value from visual UGC. 

Unless you've been living in the jungle without access to technology, it's been impossible to avoid the buzz around artificial intelligence. Many sectors are struggling to understand how they can expand the use of AI, but some players in the UGC sector have been using it for years. 

The development of AI and visual recognition technology makes it easier for travel companies to ensure that their UGC strategies harness the power of machine learning to save time and make more informed decisions when selecting content.

For example, by automatically identifying and tagging the exact locations, scenes, events, emotions and brands shown in each customer image or video, AI can play a role in automating the management of visual content on social media. This is especially useful for large travel brands that have to sort through thousands of visual content on a daily basis.

AI and predictive algorithms can then help travel marketers identify and display the most relevant images and videos by machine learning and recommending images that attracted audiences in previous campaigns.

Most importantly, the marketing decision-maker retains ultimate control, minimising risk and ensuring that UGC stays on brand and on strategy.

It is now possible to make visual UGC more interactive by making it 'shoppable'. This means that people can click on a customer's photo of a hotel room they stayed in or a tour they took and land on the hotel's website to make a reservation or find more information. 

Some companies even add "book now" buttons on their customer images. By making the process quick and seamless, people are more likely to engage or buy when they see other travellers' UGC.

Most travel brands start by sharing visual UGC on their social channels. The next step is often to embed it on their website and on pages about specific services or experiences to provide additional context to encourage booking. 

Today, companies are going further and integrating UGC throughout the customer journey by using authentic visuals in everything from digital and social ads to email newsletters and even offline advertising. Studies have shown that ads featuring user-generated photos get five times higher click-through rates than campaigns based on brand-created images.

With authenticity and fresh content key across all channels, a constant stream of new images and videos is needed to overcome banner blindness, where consumers switch off when they see the same images too many times. UGC can help meet this demand, often at a fraction of the cost of professional photography.

While consumers respond positively to UGC, it is important that it is relevant to their interests. If someone is looking for content about their safari holiday, showing them UGC from one of their ski getaways is not going to be meaningful. This is why companies are increasingly customising the UGC experience on their websites based on visitor behaviour.