Social media has become one of the most powerful tools in travel marketing, helping brands turn inspiration into bookings and followers into loyal travelers. While every brand approaches it differently, the most successful travel companies share a few consistent strategies: storytelling, community, and a strong visual identity.
Here are social media secrets from five travel brands that are winning online—based on research and real-world performance.
Engage your travelers
Pack Up + Go built its entire brand around surprise travel—a concept that naturally lends itself to social engagement. Rather than posting generic destination photos, the brand shares real traveler reactions, destination reveals, and spontaneous trip moments that spark curiosity and excitement. This kind of content turns followers into participants, encouraging engagement and sharing because people want to know where they’re going next rather than just seeing another postcard photo.
User-generated content is a core part of Pack Up + Go’s strategy on its Instagram, which has over 100K followers. Happy travelers often post their surprise-trip reveals—like photos with signs announcing destinations—which the brand then amplifies. This authentic content not only drives high engagement but also inspires others to follow along and consider their own future adventures, creating a self-reinforcing loop of interest and loyalty.
Partner with microinfluencers
UnCruise Adventures is a boutique travel brand offering small-ship expedition cruises to places like Alaska, Hawaii, Costa Rica, and the Galápagos. Unlike larger cruise lines, their social strategy focuses on authentic, experiential storytelling—sharing dramatic images and videos of kayaking with whales, jungle hikes, and snorkel excursions, which taps directly into followers’ desire for adventure and connection.
With over 200K followers on Facebook, the company's social content often features real travelers and creators capturing the adventure firsthand, inviting followers to imagine themselves in those moments rather than simply promoting itineraries. By partnering with microinfluencers and adventure creators who produce high-quality content about unique experiences, UnCruise builds trust and excitement around its brand and doesn’t solely rely on polished advertisements.
Pack Up + Go built its entire brand around surprise travel—a concept that naturally lends itself to social engagement.
Spotlight experiences rather than just trips
Modern Adventure uses social media to position its curated small-group tours as deep cultural experiences, not just travel itineraries. With nearly 40K followers on Instagram, the brand regularly posts photos and short videos highlighting real moments from trips—local interactions, landscapes, and group activities that feel aspirational yet attainable.
These posts often showcase the unique personalities of their tours and leaders, reinforcing their brand as one that connects travelers with meaningful experiences. Whether it’s a countryside cooking lesson or a local artisan market walk, Modern Adventure’s content invites followers to imagine themselves there, making the brand more engaging and shareable.
Embrace community and real moments
Hostelworld’s social media strategy centers on real traveler experiences and community. With a strong presence (over 300K followers on Instagram), the account highlights authentic travel moments—everything from hostel hangouts and spontaneous meetups to tips for solo travelers navigating new cities.
Their Instagram reels and posts often focus on people and experience first, not just places to stay. Content like community travel tips and genuine hostel moments resonate with budget backpackers and solo adventurers, helping Hostelworld build a loyal, engaged audience that shares their posts and interacts as if they’re part of a global travel community.
Tell your story consistently with long-form content
The Feel Good Family documents their full-time caravan travels around Australia with weekly videos and stories that feel like episodic storytelling, not one-off posts. Their YouTube channel has grown to over 100K subscribers with hundreds of travel videos and guides, which they share across social platforms.
By consistently posting long-form content (like their “Lap Around Australia” series) alongside shorter Instagram and Facebook updates, they create a narrative that followers can grow with over time. This consistency in content and authentic portrayal of daily life on the road builds a strong, supportive community that engages, shares, and returns time after time.
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