The Impact of Travel Posts on Instagram on Users’ Travel Orientations: A Qualitative Study From Türkiye

Abstract

Today, social media platforms have become an important area of an influence that shapes individuals’ lifestyles in many ways. Instagram, in particular, stands out as a medium where travel and trip content, as well as many different contents related to daily life, have become widespread. Travel enthusiasts, influencers and brands use Instagram effectively to share posts about places to visit hotels, restaurants, and activities. This content can be a powerful tool that affects users’ travel preferences. With the visual appeal and discovery opportunities offered by Instagram, this content can guide individuals not only in choosing where to travel, but also in what they will do and what kind of experience they will have in these places. In this context, 21 participants who are different from each other in terms of socio-economic and demographic aspects were interviewed in this study using a semi-structured in-depth interview method. When the findings obtained from the interviews were evaluated, it was determined that active Instagram users follow a travel influencer or a tour company, but they take into account the fact that influencers earn income from these contents regarding the content shared. It was revealed that Instagram travel posts were useful for Instagram users in terms of providing detailed information about places to visit, but these posts caused unhappiness in users who could not realize the trips they saw on Instagram due to the fact that the destinations they saw on Instagram did not meet their expectations or due to some material and spiritual impossibilities such as income status and time constraints