"Australia continues to rely on billboard-style and cinematic advertising to promote itself as a destination. This approach, used for decades, presents a national image built around iconic sites and curated visuals. While this style may appeal to tourism bodies because of the celebrity-fronted content and central control, it is increasingly out of step with how modern travellers plan their journeys. In 2025, travellers are scrolling TikTok, watching Instagram reels, and browsing peer reviews. Tourism campaigns should meet people where they are."
"Almost 90% of young travellers discover new destinations through TikTok, and 40% say they have booked a trip directly because of something they saw on the platform. What matters most is not just reach, but trust. Influencers shape behaviour from desire to booking and post-trip sharing. Their impact rests on perceived authenticity. Real people telling stories resonate more than stylised ads."
"Storytelling sits at the heart of this shift, and tourism providers can engage in this form of storytelling, too. Airbnb's Host Stories campaign invites hosts to share personal narratives through short videos and blog posts. By highlighting real hosts and their daily lives, marketing moves beyond selling places and instead emphasises authentic, locally rooted connections that resonate with travellers. It introduces travellers to places through personal experience, grounded in local knowledge and genuine connection."
Billboard-style and cinematic advertising continues to shape national tourism imagery through iconic, curated visuals and celebrity-fronted campaigns. Modern travellers increasingly plan trips via short-form social platforms, peer reviews, and influencer content rather than traditional ads. Social media is a central source of travel inspiration for Gen Z and millennials, with high discovery and booking influence reported on TikTok. Trust and perceived authenticity drive conversion from desire to booking. Storytelling by real people and user-generated content, exemplified by initiatives that highlight hosts' daily lives, fosters emotional connection and locally rooted credibility that resonates with prospective tourists.
Read at The Conversation
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