The Importance of UGC and Authenticity in Tourism Marketing

The root of planning a destination vacation is this: you’re spending a lot of money going somewhere you most often have never been and are completely unfamiliar with, and feel compelled to plan out activities that will precisely fill every minute.?

Excerpt from The Power of UGC: Harnessing Authenticity in Tourism Marketing

When planning a trip to an unfamiliar place, today’s consumers usually rely on word-of-mouth from friends and family, influencers they follow, and content shared by the destinations themselves. Authenticity in tourism marketing is crucial because it gives travel planners an idea of the experience they can expect in a place they’ve never been. When that experience aligns with what they want their vacation to be like, it’s much easier for them to make a booking decision, site unseen.

Social Proof and Tourism UGC

There are psychological and sociological reasons why UGC is such an effective content type for tourism companies. When people see their peers or people they long to be like sharing experiences, it creates an emotional connection that usually doesn’t stem from sales-forward content.?

Social proof is the main phenomenon behind why influencer marketing campaigns can be so effective. Real-world exposure to experiences can greatly influence a person to make a booking decision. By witnessing the influencer's firsthand encounter with a destination or attraction, potential travelers feel reassured and motivated to embark on a similar journey, knowing that they are likely to have an authentic and enjoyable experience themselves.

UGC vs. Yelp or TripAdvisor Reviews

Social proof can be demonstrated in written reviews as well, such as those found on Yelp or TripAdvisor. The problem with online reviews is people are usually only compelled to take the time to write them when they have great experiences or really poor experiences. This means that negative reviews can overshadow positive reviews, deterring someone from making a booking decision.

User-generated content on social media, however, is almost always a positive representation of an experience. This could be driven by a desire for influencers to be offered tourism partnerships at discounts or for free while they build their travel brand, or could be a factor of people preferring to depict only the positive aspects of their life on social media.

Learn where to post UGC and how to track social mentions by reading the full article on The Atlas.