A Growing Influencer Class Attracts a Larger Piece of Destination Marketing

Tourism agencies are developing more sophisticated and granular destination influencer marketing strategies as content creators hone their skills, reach, and transparency about niche audiences.

“When it comes to inspiring people and getting people excited about a destination, showing them something they didn't know about the destination, influencers can be very powerful,” said Discover Puerto Rico Chief Marketing Officer Leah Chandler. 

Influencer reach was one reason the Sedona City Council in Arizona has refused to restart destination marketing spending since 2021. City Councilman Peter Furman said overcrowding had been concentrated on five to six attractions due to influencer selfies and photos. 

“Media never had that kind of spread before,” Furman said. “Some council members are asking ‘Why are we doing paid advertising when it seems everything you do there’s some hike blog or some crystal spiritual growth people talking about Sedona for free?’”

What influencers say about their travels can have more sway over audiences than other types of advertising. “For a lot of people that's more trustworthy than seeing an ad that we may buy or a TV spot that we may buy,” said San Francisco Travel President and CEO Joe D'Alessandro. 

During  the early decision-making process is where influencers can impact traveler choices the hardest. About 53 percent of social media users say they have purchased something after seeing an influencer or content creator they follow post about it on social media, according to a 2022 Pew Research survey. 

Influencers can have a more intimate relationship with their followers compared to celebrities, although some celebrities can be influencers, as well. "You feel almost like you know an influencer more than a celebrity," said Puerto Rico's Chandler. "Celebrities seem so out of reach, whereas Influencers seem very approachable. You may run into them on your flight."

It’s not just their followers they reach. Influencer content gets to social media users in other ways. Social media platforms like TikTok are now search engines, especially for Gen Z. They are used in travel discovery, a 2023 Skift megatrend found. Platforms like TikTok have become more precise in pushing personalized, authentic and original content into