The Shift in Travel Discovery
Not so long ago, booking a holiday meant a trip to the high street travel agent, leafing through glossy brochures and trusting their recommendation for “a charming little resort with something for everyone.” Then came the Google years: typing “best beaches in Bali” into the search bar, trawling through endless blog posts, star ratings, and price comparison sites until your eyes went square. Today, travel discovery has gone social. Platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Meta are increasingly where people start their journey, scrolling for inspiration, short-form tips, and authentic experiences. And even if they’re not heading straight to TikTok or Instagram, they’re discovering beguiling travel reels and bite-sized and informative posts appearing in their Google search results.
In short: travel discovery has shifted to a multi-channel world driven by social and AI. Travellers find inspiration on TikTok and Instagram, get recommendations from AI tools, and expect seamless booking experiences. For brands, that means showing up with authentic content, AI-friendly optimisation, and conversion-ready landing pages.
What Exactly is Social Search?
Social search is what happens when we stop typing stiff little queries into Google and start hunting for answers where we actually spend our time: scrolling TikTok, flicking through Instagram Reels, or getting lost in a rabbit hole of someone else’s holiday posts. Instead of indexing faceless websites and blogs, social search pulls up people’s videos, photos, captions, and half-chaotic but very convincing recommendations. And it makes sense: why sift through a 2,000-word article when you can watch someone show you the “best croissant in Paris” in under 15 seconds? For younger travellers especially, it’s less about official pages and more about authentic, lived-in inspiration.
According to Phocuswright, 62% of social media users made a specific trip decision after viewing content on social channels. And it’s not just younger audiences: AI tools like ChatGPT and AI-powered assistants are also influencing how people plan and book travel, providing instant, personalised recommendations.
As digital marketers, understanding this landscape is critical. From optimising for social platforms to AI-driven planning, brands need a multi-channel approach to grab the attention of travellers at every stage of their journey, from the first flicker of inspiration to the final booking click.
The Rise of Social Search in Travel
Once upon a time, social media was just where we uploaded blurry nightclub photos or told the world what we had for lunch. Now, it’s become a place we make make many life decisions, like where to book our next holiday. TikTok and Instagram Reels aren’t just distractions anymore; they’re visual search engines in their own right, serving up short, snappy bursts of inspiration that feel more real, and far more watchable, than the traditional blog post ever could.
For travellers:
- Searching for “best beaches in Bali” or “affordable hotels in Melbourne” is now more likely to start with a TikTok video than a Google search.
- Authentic content and peer recommendations feel more trustworthy than polished ads or traditional marketing.
For travel brands:
- Social content isn’t optional. It’s critical. User-generated content, influencer partnerships, and platform-specific optimisation (hashtags, trending audios, captions) drive discovery and engagement.
Why Travel Content Needs to Be Machine-Readable
While social search drives inspiration, AI tools are shaping decision-making for other demographics like Gen X and Boomers. ChatGPT, AI travel assistants, and itinerary builders offer:
- Customised travel plans
- Destination comparisons
- Instant answers to practical questions (visas, transport, accessibility)
For travel brands, this means your content can appear not only on social platforms but also in AI-generated results, like Google’s AI Overviews or responses from ChatGPT. Optimising for AI-driven discovery, through structured data, clear FAQs, and semantically rich content, means that your brand surfaces in personalised recommendations when travellers ask AI tools for guidance.
What Our Work With Travel & Lifestyle Brands Shows
At Yoghurt Digital, we’ve helped clients like P&O Cruises turn user insights into measurable revenue and engagement via:
- Meeting users where they are: just as travellers discover destinations via TikTok or Instagram, aspiring creators search for cameras, vlogging gear, and tools to make shareable content.
- Personalisation and relevance: recommending recently viewed products or curated gear bundles boosts engagement and conversions.
- Data-driven optimisation: testing different layouts, copy, and product placements ensures insights translate into tangible results.
- Trend-aware positioning: tapping into Y2K aesthetics, social trends, and influencer culture helps brands connect with audiences actively creating and consuming content online.
For travel brands, these lessons mean optimising landing pages, curated destination suggestions, and strategic social content placement, helping audiences go from inspiration to booking, while making sure they have the gear (and guidance) to capture and share the experience.
Why Multi-Channel Discovery Matters
Today, travel research often combines social, AI, and traditional search:
- Visual discovery: TikTok, Reels, and Pinterest are all platforms for inspiration and ideas.
- AI-assisted planning: ChatGPT or AI assistants for itinerary building and decision support.
- Transactional search: Google and Online Travel Agencies for bookings and price comparison.
Brands need to diversify their strategy so that content performs across these touchpoints. This includes snackable videos, structured and informative content for AI, and optimised landing pages for direct bookings.
Actionable Takeaways for Travel Brands
- Diversify search strategy: Don’t rely solely on Google; social channels are now search engines.
- Invest in visual storytelling: Prioritise mobile-friendly, thumb-stopping short-form content.
- Optimise for AI: Structured data, FAQs, and clear copy make your brand discoverable in AI-driven planning.
- Leverage insights from past campaigns: Use data-driven learnings (like we did with Ted’s Cameras and P&O Cruises) to refine engagement strategies.
- Understand demographics: Younger travellers behave differently from older ones; design your content for audience behaviour.
Social + AI = The Future of Travel Discovery
For travel brands, the trick is knowing how to blend the magic of human insight with the precision of social and AI tools. Do that well, and you’re not just selling trips, you’re inspiring them.
So, what’s next? Take a good look at your social and AI content. Is it mobile-first? Does it make people feel something as well as find something? Is it easy to stumble across in a scroll?
If not, that’s where we come in. Let’s build a strategy that turns all that inspiration into actual bookings.