Framed for Likes: How Social Media Shapes What ‘Authentic’ Tourism Looks Like

The modern travelogue is no longer a leather-bound journal; it’s a 15-second TikTok video. In today’s experience-hungry travel market, authenticity has become a powerful currency, yet the way travelers discover and define it has fundamentally changed. Platforms like Instagram and TikTok now serve as the main sources of travel inspiration, shaping our expectations through influencer reels, algorithm-enhanced visuals, and branded content designed for online viewers.

As noted by The Guardian, this digital influence has turned once-quiet destinations into viral hotspots, often overwhelming local communities and changing cultural spaces to appear more picturesque. At the same time, market research from Mintel shows that while Gen Z travelers consider authenticity a top priority, their understanding of it is heavily influenced by what they see online. This creates a key tension between the desire for real cultural connections and the urge to present a perfectly shareable, social media-friendly aesthetic. This dynamic raises an important question for hospitality and tourism professionals: What role does social media play in shaping perceptions of authenticity in cultural tourism experiences?

What the Research Reveals

The Influencer Effect

The scientific literature offers a clear, though complex, answer: social media serves as a powerful mediator that both constructs and distorts perceptions of authenticity. The process usually starts with social media influencers, who have become the new gatekeepers of destination credibility. A 2024 study of millennial travelers in Jordan found that an influencer’s perceived authenticity and their direct recommendations were the two most influential factors in destination choice (Alrefai et al., 2024).

However, this authenticity is nuanced. Research by Dong et al. (2023) shows that an influencer’s alignment with the destination—such as sharing a common ethnic or cultural background—is much more impactful on perceived authenticity than their alignment with the consumer. This indicates travelers are not seeking a mirror of themselves but a guide who genuinely seems to belong to the place they are promoting.

“When influencers share cultural or ethnic ties with a destination, audiences perceive the experience as significantly more credible than when a generic travel influencer visits the same place.”

Content Format Matters

The format of the content also plays a vital role. Studies by Qin et al. (2024) and Haq and Chiu (2024) reveal that short-form videos on platforms like TikTok are far more effective at creating a sense of emotional immersion and authenticity than static images, leveraging an “image transfer mechanism” that helps viewers feel connected to a place even before they visit.

The Authenticity Paradox

However, this digitally-mediated authenticity involves significant trade-offs. Analyzing Instagram posts from World Heritage Sites revealed that tourists often curate their photos to fit popular platform aesthetics, which can eliminate subtle cultural details in favor of visually simple, easily digestible moments (Li & Wang, 2022). This creates a feedback loop where the most “Instagrammable” version of a culture becomes the most visible and, consequently, the most desired.

This can lead to what Loke et al. (2022) describes as sanitized, “tourist-friendly” portrayals that reshape the destination’s image to match algorithmic preferences rather than local realities. Additionally, the constant digital documentation can change the tourist’s own experience. A cross-country study of travelers on Hainan and Jeju Islands found a paradox: while sharing on smartphones boosts feelings of connection and attachment to the destination, it can also diminish existential authenticity by pulling travelers out of the real-world moment (Chung et al., 2024; Wong et al., 2020).

The research shows that social media does not just reflect authentic experiences; it actively helps create and reshape them. It amplifies certain voices, emphasizes specific aesthetics, and encourages behaviors aimed at online performance.

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Practical Applications for HTM Leaders

Navigating this landscape requires a strategic shift from traditional marketing to a more nuanced approach that balances digital engagement with cultural stewardship. Here are two actionable recommendations for hospitality and tourism professionals:

1. Embrace Digital Ethnography and Culturally-Grounded Storytelling

Instead of targeting mega-influencers with the largest follower counts, destinations should focus on building long-term partnerships with culturally-grounded storytellers. These creators—such as local artisans, historians, chefs, community leaders, or expatriates with strong ties to the area—can offer genuine, lived-in perspectives.

Use social listening tools to find these voices by tracking location-specific hashtags and analyzing who produces resonant, respectful content. Collaborate with them to create content that emphasizes authenticity over polish, like “day-in-the-life” videos, interviews with local elders, or tutorials on traditional crafts. As shown by Dong et al. (2023), this cultural connection is what audiences see as truly authentic. This approach extends beyond quick promotional posts and helps build a library of content that educates, inspires, and encourages a more meaningful, sustainable form of tourism.

2. Use Social Listening to Bridge the Authenticity Gap

The large volume of user-generated content online acts as a real-time focus group. By applying data mining and sentiment analysis, as shown by Calderon-Fajardo et al. (2024), managers can go beyond just tracking likes and comments to gain a deeper understanding of the tourist experience.

By monitoring reviews and posts for keywords like “authentic,” “staged,” “touristy,” or “commercialized,” they can identify specific pain points where the marketed image conflicts with the actual experience. For example, if tourists consistently describe a cultural performance as feeling inauthentic, this data provides a clear signal to redesign the experience. Responses might include training guides to provide more detailed historical context, creating smaller, more interactive workshops instead of large-scale shows, or adjusting marketing efforts to set more realistic expectations. This data-driven approach allows organizations to proactively manage their brand experience and ensure that the authenticity they promise is truly the authenticity they deliver.

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References

Alrefai, A. A., Omar, S. I., Kadir, I. A., Kalbouneh, N. Y., & Ahmad, A. Y. A. B. (2024). The impact of social media influencers on destination choice among millennial travelers in Jordan. Evolutionary Studies in Imaginative Culture, 8(1), S2, 2039–2052.

Calderon-Fajardo, V., Anaya-Sánchez, R., & Molinillo, S. (2024). Understanding destination brand experience through data mining and machine learning. Journal of Destination Marketing & Management, 31, 100862.

Chung, C., Li, J., Chung, N., & Shin, S. (2024). The impact of smartphone usage on domestic travelers’ existential authenticity and behavioral perception toward island destinations: A cross-country comparison of Hainan Island and Jeju Island. Journal of Destination Marketing & Management, 31, 100846.

Dong, Y., Li, Y., Hua, H.-Y., & Li, W. (2023). Perceived tourism authenticity on social media: The consistency of ethnic destination endorsers. Tourism Management Perspectives, 49, 101176.

Haq, M. D., & Chiu, C.-M. (2024). Boosting online user engagement with short video endorsement content on TikTok via the image transfer mechanism. Electronic Commerce Research and Applications, 64, 101379.

Li, Y., & Wang, X. (2022). Instagram and the making of cultural heritage authenticity: Evidence from tourists’ posts about world heritage sites. Current Issues in Tourism, 25(2), 171–186.

Loke, T., Teramoto, Y., Camargo, C. Q., & Eccles, K. (2022). Heritage site-seeing through the visitor’s lens on Instagram. Journal of Cultural Analytics, 7(3).

Qin, M., Qiu, S., Zhao, Y., Zhu, W., & Li, S. (2024). Graphic or short video? The influence mechanism of UGC types on consumers’ purchase intention—Take Xiaohongshu as an example. Electronic Commerce Research and Applications, 65, 101402.

Wong, J. W. C., Lai, I. K. W., & Tao, Z. (2020). Sharing memorable tourism experiences on mobile social media and how it influences further travel decisions. Current Issues in Tourism, 23(14), 1773–1787.

Zeng, B., & Gerritsen, R. (2014). What do we know about social media in tourism? A review. Tourism Management Perspectives, 10, 27–36.

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