（Singapore, 26.08.2026）Travel companies are spending more on social media influencers as younger consumers increasingly turn to Instagram, TikTok and YouTube for holiday ideas, but the industry’s growing enthusiasm is bringing a tougher question into focus: do viral views actually translate into bookings?
Influencer marketing is becoming a bigger part of travel advertising budgets, with airlines, hotels, tourism boards and online booking platforms looking for new ways to reach younger travellers. According to a Financial Times report, citing Emarketer estimates, US travel companies spent about US$1.5 billion (S$1.9 billion) on social media marketing in 2025, with the figure forecast to reach US$2 billion (S$2.54 billion) by 2027.
Across industries, US companies paid influencers around US$10.7 billion (S$13.59 billion) last year, up 15.8% from 2024, the FT reported.
The shift reflects changing travel habits, particularly among younger consumers. Bank of America card-spending data showed that travel spending among Generation Z consumers rose about 8.5% year on year in June, faster than any other generation in the US.
Social media is also playing a growing role at the start of the travel-planning process. A Skyscanner survey found that 59% of travellers aged 18 to 24 used Instagram for holiday planning, while 54% watched travel content on YouTube.
For travel companies, that audience is becoming too important to ignore.
Expedia, which has worked with thousands of creators over the past decade, recently took a bigger gamble by partnering with IShowSpeed, the online personality whose real name is Darren Jason Watkins Jr and who has tens of millions of followers.
The partnership initially raised concerns because IShowSpeed is known for unpredictable livestreams, according to the FT. Expedia nevertheless decided that reaching his young audience was worth the potential brand risk.
In April, he livestreamed a 12-hour journey through five Caribbean countries while Expedia launched a customised booking site called “Exspeedia”. Searches subsequently jumped as much as 70% for Sint Maarten and 50% for Guadeloupe, according to Expedia.
Yet increased searches do not necessarily mean confirmed bookings, highlighting one of the industry’s biggest difficulties in measuring influencer marketing.
From follower numbers to measurable returns
Travel brands are experimenting with different strategies. Virgin Voyages hosted more than 1,000 influencers on a three-night “Creator Voyage” with TikTok in April, generating more than 20,000 pieces of content and over 200 million views, according to figures reported by the FT.
Others are looking beyond celebrity-level creators.
Smaller influencers, particularly those with fewer than 100,000 followers, can offer companies access to more specific audiences while often charging less. Brands are also paying greater attention to engagement and the quality of content rather than simply choosing creators with the largest follower counts.
That approach can be particularly important for luxury travel businesses, where maintaining brand image matters as much as reaching a large audience. Luxury hotel groups are increasingly selective about whom they invite because creators effectively become representatives of the property once they begin posting about their stay.
The economics are also changing for influencers themselves. Travel creator Gabby Beckford told the FT that brands increasingly expect original videos and storytelling rather than simple photographs or one-off posts. Her first paid collaboration in 2018 earned just US$50, while her largest deal has since exceeded US$100,000.
The wider industry remains far less lucrative for most creators. A CreatorIQ survey found that the average content creator earned about US$44,000 (S$55,890) in 2025, while only 11% made more than US$100,000 (S$127,024).
As fees increase, however, companies want stronger evidence that their money is producing results.
Affiliate links are becoming one way of addressing the problem. These customised links allow companies to track whether a customer who watches an influencer’s content subsequently makes a booking, while creators can receive a fee or commission from resulting sales.
Such measurements are harder for tourism boards, which promote entire destinations rather than selling hotel rooms or flights themselves.
Tourism New Zealand faced criticism after disclosures showed that it spent NZ$6.1 million (S$4.61 million) on influencer partnerships during its 2024-25 financial year. The agency estimated that the exposure was equivalent to almost NZ$400 million (S$302 million) in conventional advertising, but critics questioned whether likes, views and followers could demonstrate concrete economic benefits.
There is another risk when influencer marketing works too well.
Social media can send large numbers of visitors to previously quiet destinations within a short period, creating overcrowding and putting pressure on local infrastructure. Popular photo locations in parts of Italy and France have already prompted authorities to consider measures to manage visitor numbers.
However, the same technology could also help spread tourists beyond established hotspots. Wyndham Hotels & Resorts has pointed to growing interest in smaller cities and destinations, while more than a third of respondents in Skyscanner’s 2025 survey said they actively sought quieter places to visit.
Artificial intelligence could reinforce that shift as travellers increasingly ask digital tools to recommend less crowded alternatives instead of relying solely on familiar destinations promoted online.
Despite the difficulty of measuring returns, major travel companies are showing little sign of pulling back. Expedia spent US$7.4 billion (S$9.39 billion) on marketing overall in 2025, up from US$6.8 billion (S$8.63 billion) a year earlier, and told the FT it was increasing its commitment to creator marketing. Booking Holdings, meanwhile, raised social media marketing spending by 13% last year as it pursued growth in markets including the US and Asia.
The industry’s next challenge is therefore moving beyond the race for views. As influencer fees and marketing budgets rise, companies will increasingly need to determine whether social media attention can generate lasting brand value and, ultimately, paying travellers.
