How will social media impact the way we travel in 2020?

Social media affects so many aspects of contemporary society. We can use Facebook to track our friends’ activities, Instagram to view a spectacular array of images and videos, Snapchat to communicate in realtime, and any number of dating websites to reach out to potential partners. Because as this research shows social media is so influential and can be tailored to any situation, it will inevitably impact widespread activities – such as traveling. Here are some of the ways social media will be shaping how we travel in 2020.

Images of idyllic locations are everywhere

How were holiday destinations routinely planned in the past? There would be travel programs on TV, posters in the window of our local travel agents, and holiday snaps or home movies presented by friends and relations returning from sunnier climes. But these only gave a limited glimpse of possible travel destinations beyond the horizon. In 2020, social media gives access to an endless source of images from all over the world. Simply by tapping into Instagram or Facebook, we can find ourselves browsing through an incredible home gallery of information, with so many enticements to follow in the footsteps of whoever uploaded these details.

Traveling is integral to many dating sites

When dating sites first emerged, they would generally follow a well-worn template. There would be lists or profiles of singletons, and other site users would be invited to check these out, deciding who to communicate with. As well as providing a platform where interested parties can be introduced, they can now offer all sorts of services that will allow daters to get to know each other outside the online environment. Some specialized websites will arrange tours of exciting destinations, inviting their members to make contact and then plan to share traveling arrangements.

Virtual guidebooks are incredibly informative

In the pre-Internet era, travel guidebooks flourished. Tourists would typically be seen shuffling around places of interest in various towns and cities, clutching their trusty manuals while attempting to make sense of large maps before clumsily folding them away again. Nowadays, virtual guidebooks contain infinitely more information. If you are traveling in 2020 you don’t need to go armed with an arsenal of guidebooks and maps. All you need is a tablet or smartphone, with suitable map apps downloaded, along with links to informative websites crammed with detailed background information.

Holidays are a staple of social media chat

People use social media for various reasons, but one of the most popular is to keep friends and relations abreast of all their leisure activities. Holidays feature prominently in Facebook posts, with site users uploading photographs to document their interesting and exciting holiday activities, replacing the unadventurous holiday snaps of previous generations. Because of the way that these photographs can be presented, you can download any that particularly catch your eye, and create galleries of your own while you choose likely destinations for a holiday.

Social media breaks down international boundaries

One of the most notable attributes of social media is the way that it can transcend national boundaries. This is particularly the case with matching sites. Most of the major dating resources enjoy worldwide memberships, meaning that when you go online you could find yourself interacting with people from any cultural background. In 2020 you are just as likely to get inspiration for a diverse range of recommended holiday locations after some casual online chat as you would from the brochures or magazine adverts that people once relied upon. What’s more, online connections can become your personal tour guides when you travel to foreign destinations.