Reveal of Discrepancies between Kylie Jenner's European Vacation and Molly-Mae Hague's Sister's Trip to Bali Highlight the Gap between Instagram Perceptions and Real Life Experiences
In the digital age, social media has become a powerful force shaping the travel landscape. From the picturesque lakeside village of Hallstatt, Austria, inspired by Disney's Frozen, to lesser-known destinations around the globe, social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok are rapidly popularizing travel spots through user-generated content and influencer promotions.
This electronic Word of Mouth (eWOM) has transformed travel into a backdrop for content creation, with celebrities like Hailey Bieber and Kylie Jenner joining the throng of tourists. However, this trend has also given rise to overtourism, a phenomenon that can have detrimental effects on destinations.
Social media-driven overtourism causes several adverse effects. Environmental degradation, loss of local authenticity, strain on infrastructure, and social tensions are just a few of the issues faced by overcrowded destinations. For instance, the once-silent Scottish Highlands and Bali's rice terraces are experiencing overcrowding due to tourism, leading to environmental degradation and social tensions.
The "Instagram effect" compels tourists to visit popularized locations primarily for photo opportunities, intensifying visitor numbers beyond sustainable limits. Platforms’ algorithms further accelerate this process by amplifying visually striking content, making previously hidden destinations vulnerable to mass tourism.
Bali, a developing country, is a prime example of this paradox. With tourism making up between 60-70% of the regional GDP, the island is currently facing backlash due to the influencer-industrial complex. Fitness influencer Zoe Rae recently faced criticism for a short, poorly planned trip to the island.
However, it's important to note that denouncing Bali can have far-reaching consequences. Social media flattens countries into easily digestible, marketable aesthetics, causing infrastructure strain and disrespect to cultural landmarks.
Yet, social media can also be used positively to support responsible tourism. Nicki Tempest-Mitchell, Managing Director at Barrhead Travel, emphasizes this point, stating that social media can help raise awareness about sustainable travel practices and support local businesses.
In her YouTube video, a traveler complains that influencers depict an airbrushed version of Bali, focusing on luxury aspects. This observation highlights the paradox of social media: while it can drive overtourism, it can also show the impact of overtourism.
In conclusion, social media amplifies mass tourism by creating rapid demand spikes for visually promoted destinations, which often results in overtourism and its environmental, social, and cultural impacts on those destinations. The reality is far less amusing for the people who live in overtouristed destinations, and the lens through which paradise is viewed may be the problem, not the place itself.
References:
[1] UNWTO. (2020). e-Tourism for SDGs: A Guide for Policy Makers. [2] Ritchie, N. (2019). The Instagram effect: how social media is changing the way we travel. The Guardian. [3] Wang, X., et al. (2020). The Role of Social Media in Promoting Over-Tourism: A Case Study of the Balearic Islands. Sustainability, 12(19), 6662. [5] UNWTO. (2019). Over-tourism: A Shared Responsibility.
- Owing to influencer promotions and user-generated content on platforms like Instagram and TikTok, the travel industry now serves as a stage for content creation, with celebrities like Hailey Bieber and Kylie Jenner participating in this trend.
- While social media has involved travel in the realm of fashion, beauty, and lifestyle, it has also given birth to the issue of overtourism, adversely affecting destinations such as the Scottish Highlands and Bali's rice terraces.
- When tourists flock to popularized destinations, driven by the "Instagram effect," environmental degradation, loss of local authenticity, infrastructure strain, and social tensions ensue, as evidenced in overcrowded locations like Bali.
- The rapidly increasing demand for visually striking destinations, fueled by social media algorithms, has turned previously hidden gems like Bali into victims of mass tourism, straining infrastructure and disrespecting cultural landmarks.
- Critics argue that the influencer-industrial complex has caused issues for Bali, a developing country where tourism accounts for 60-70% of the regional GDP, as exemplified by the backlash against fitness influencer Zoe Rae for her poorly planned trip to the island.
- Despite the adverse impacts of social media-driven overtourism, the platform can be harnessed for positive change, as emphasized by Nicki Tempest-Mitchell, Managing Director at Barrhead Travel, who believes social media can promote sustainable travel practices and support local businesses.
