While the travel industry has certainly changed drastically over the last few months, social media has become even more powerful, especially when it comes to travel content. Although I don’t plan on traveling anywhere far right now, I’ve found myself scrolling through Instagram even more frequently on the hunt for UNDER-THE-RADAR DESTINATIONS and UNIQUE BOUTIQUE HOTELS to add to my bucket list.
For example, instead of daydreaming about Rome — and, don’t get me wrong, Italy’s capital city is stunning — I’ve found myself gravitating towards less touristy Italian areas like Emilia Romagna, Puglia, and Piedmont. In fact, I’ve even sought out these “hidden gems” via a quick IG search.
Even in pre-corona times (remember the good ol’ days?), I’ve long relied on IG to find less-frequented, locally loved hotspots and hotels. When planning a trip to Newport in 2018, I searched the depths of Instagram for a reasonably priced yet exceptional boutique hotel. (While staying in one of the extravagant Victorian-era mansions-turned-hotels would have been nice, I wasn’t looking to spend the $$$). Fast-forward four hours later, and I finally found Hotel Viking. Located on a quaint street within walking distance to some of the city’s best attractions, this incredible property boasted scenic views and cute quarters — plus spiked hot cocoa by the fire (we did visit in the winter, after all!)
I’ve also relied on social media (IG in particular) on out-of-the-country trips, too. For example, when my family and I went to St. Marteen, we had the opportunity to visit St. Barts for the day. The scenery, the idyllic isle is home to plenty of tres-chic eateries, swanky hotels, and postcard-worthy beaches. After what seemed like 1,000 hours of scrolling through social, I finally settled on where exactly I wanted to visit on our short and sweet day trip here. I went straight to an adorable French bistro near the port for croissants before heading to Nikki Beach for drinks and dancing.
And, although exotic getaways feel like the farthest thing from reality, I feel grateful to utilize social media to inspire wanderlust in hopes of traveling again (hopefully) soon.
