#MeTourism: the hidden costs of selfie tourism
Gone are the days where destinations and travel marketers have control over their image making and communication, explains The University of South Australia’s Marianna Sigala in this cross-posting from The Conversation.
Technology has changed the way we travel. Smartphones, travellers’ comments and photos, search engines and algorithms can all inspire and empower us to plan complex journeys all over the globe within minutes.
Planning and booking tourism has always had an element of risk. One has to commit upfront – there is no sample to try before you buy, and no return policy. It is not surprising that people increasingly rely on social media content and networks to identify, evaluate and select their preferred tourism destination and suppliers.
But even if the final destination is beautiful, many social media users will now ask themselves a set of new questions. Is it the trendy and fashionable place that you want to be “seen” travelling? Is this a place you won’t be embarrassed to share this with your peers and followers online?
