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Hosted by STRz editor Paul Stevens
Sponsored by Key Data and Lodgify
The growing influence of social media in our lives cannot be underestimated and our phone usage means that we can access it from almost anywhere in the world. Whether it is our shopping choices, our culinary choices or even our dating choices, social media is the great distributor of information and it is time to assess its impact on the travel sector. Online travel agencies and websites are almost morphing into their own social media platforms with enticing graphics, images, seamless booking processes, reviews and chatbots, all with the intention to help consumers curate their own ‘connected trip’. But are popular social media platforms such as TikTok set to be the new channels of distribution for emerging generations [e.g. Gen Z or Gen Alpha] and how do the OTAs need to react to this? Travel startups are already making hiring decisions through social media – the possibilities are endless.
We discovered:
- How travellers have traditionally made shopping and trip decisions
- What we mean by a ‘connected trip’
- The rise of platforms such as TikTok which drive travel inspiration and how they are increasingly shaping our travel choices
- Where there is space for new channels of distribution to emerge in the future
- How traditional or legacy booking platforms are or should be responding to these shifts
- The influence of Gen Z / Gen Alpha in the future of travel distribution
With thanks to:
- Daniela Derin, holiday rental manager, Skol Apartments Marbella
- Ben Wolff, co-founder, Onera, Oasi
- Rosie Willan, co-founder and CEO, Stay The Night
- Ryan Thompson, founder, Seeking Discovery
