Instagram overtakes TikTok as travel marketing priorities shift

 

New data from the TravelTech Show highlights significant shifts in social media performance for travel marketing. TikTok now delivers results for just 9% of operators, down from 19% in 2025, while Instagram leads, producing measurable results for 61% of more than 100 operators surveyed.

	2026	2025	2024
Instagram	61%	58%	37%
Facebook	47%	63%	26%
LinkedIn	42%	52%	70%
Whatsapp	23%	19%	22%
TikTok	9%	19%	7%

Facebook, previously dominant, is overtaken by Instagram, while LinkedIn has fallen from 70% to 42% over three years. The survey illustrates the evolving landscape as travel operators reassess where to allocate online marketing resources

Only 13% of respondents reported that most customer bookings and website traffic come directly from social media and influencers, compared with online search. When planning budgets for the year ahead, travel operators intend to distribute resources equally among social media platforms, AI and chatbots, and website content at 15% each. Booking platforms and customer website UX are allocated 10% and 8%, respectively.

Commenting on the results TravelTech Show Sales Manager  Thauan (Ty) Albuquerque said, “Social media platforms have scaled significantly in the last decade to establish themselves as a valuable trading floor for travel brands as well as their shop window. It’s interesting to see Instagram leapfrog LinkedIn and Facebook in just two years. However, the most significant shift has been the decline of the impact of the Gen Z popular platform TikTok. For travel operators this raises the question of where next to invest online to harness brand loyalty and safeguard future customers and revenue. While many are already investing in AI and chatbots as well as social media platforms and website content, alongside this is the need to maintain a sharp focus on the customer journey and booking behaviours.

“Search behaviours are changing and becoming more nuanced across the market. Given the age of the majority of TikTok subscribers, our research suggests this change is happening at its fastest rate amongst Gen Z. This is the generation which is increasingly combining AI with social media to research, book and pay for trips, and it will be interesting to see how TikTok’s latest in-app booking launch – TikTok GO – will perform against this backdrop. As search tools, content, audiences and platforms continue to diversify it is more vital than ever that travel operators keep pace with where, how and when to invest in the right content and platform for their business”.

The TravelTech Show, Europe’s only dedicated travel technology marketplace, will take place 24–25 June 2026 at Excel London. Registration is open and free for travel technology specialists and consultants involved in selecting technology solutions for travel businesses.

Tags: social media Thauan (Ty) Albuquerque   TravelTech Show