By Karen Sternheimer
Do you follow any “travel influencers” on social media or even aspire to be one? Even if you’re not sure what a travel influencer actually is, they are shaping peoples’ experiences of travel.
A travel influencer is someone who posts travel-related content (typically videos and/or images) to social media accounts, hoping to gain a large number of followers, often in exchange for sponsorship money and ad revenue. They might be given free perks or get paid to share videos of resorts or other travel destinations as part of a new form of tourism marketing.
If you consider yourself a savvy media consumer, you might feel immune to this kind of marketing. After all, someone’s breathless excitement about a hotel room or unique airbnb might seem like an obvious ad. Even if you wouldn’t choose a destination based on someone’s social media feed, influencers shape—and are shaped by—the notion of what it means to experience travel.
I thought of this at the beginning of a flight to London earlier this year, when a young woman sitting next to me on the plane unselfconsciously took duck-lipped, peace-sign flashing selfies for what seemed like a really long time before she conked out and slept for the remainder of the trip. Presumably these pictures are meant to be shared and say, “I’m on the plane about to take off to go to LONDON!!” giving an otherwise mundane moment before take-off on a long flight social meaning.
Throughout my travels, I noticed heightened moments of tourist selfie-taking or shamelessly posing as a companion takes countless pictures, mostly meant to highlight one’s most attractive angles rather than the famous location itself. The photoshoot isn’t done until the subject can review the photos and determine if they are acceptable, otherwise more photos are taken.
Just taking pictures of a location or of a plane wouldn’t convey the “I WAS THERE!!” message that presumably heightens the experience. French sociologist Jean Baudrillard referred to hyperreality as something that seems more real due to the collapsing of boundaries between the media image and the “original.” Social media came decades after Baudrillard made this observation, but it seems to be a prime example of the blurred line between image and “reality.”
Baudrillard’s ideas exemplify a school of thought called postmodernism, According to this perspective, the rapid reproduction of images in our mediated age renders meanings unstable, with no original referent but instead a torrent of images to navigate.
Smart phones allow us to create our own torrent of images, and social media almost demands that we share them. I once had a student who told me that she found Instagram stressful and depressing, and when I suggested that she delete the app—or at least not use it as much—she said this would basically be like disappearing, and that her friends and family would worry about her if she didn’t continue to post regularly.
Before smart phones and digital cameras, images did not circulate nearly so frequently, especially our own. If you took pictures, you were limited to how much film you had and then had to wait until the film was developed and prints made, often at a local drug store or a drive-up place called Fotomat.
Travel is a ready-made opportunity to experience hyperreality. We might decide where to visit based on images, if not from travel influencers than from historical texts or even fictional texts like movies and television. Locations made famous on social or from traditional media draw tourists by the thousands; the beautiful town of Hallstatt, Austria, was apparently the inspiration for the Disney film Frozen and now draws about ten thousand tourists a day, making life difficult for the 700 locals whose town is overrun with tour buses.
Being a sociologist who has read Baudrillard does not render me immune to hyperreality. While in the Alsace region of France, I visited the towns that were supposed to have inspired the Disney film Beauty and the Beast. It’s been a long time since I saw the movie, first released in 1991, and while it was not the primary reason for visiting, it added to the allure.
As you can see from the photos below, it looks like a fairy tale, at least my imagination of what a quaint old French village would look like based on previous images. This image is “always already” there for more than just me, which is likely why it’s iconic status was cemented via stories about its inspiration for Beauty and the Beast. Baudrillard even wrote about Disneyland in his book Simulations, noting that its fantasy exists to provide the illusion that America itself is real.
The image of this village brings tourists, as the photos detail, along with many souvenir shops, boulangeries (bakeries), and restaurants. We left just as several tour buses unloaded hundreds of people, ready to take their pictures and add to the already flowing torrent of images.
Shops and restaurants occupy buildings in a town that dates back to the sixth century, and vineyards in the distance frame the town.
And yes, inserting myself as part of the fairy tale scene was part of the pleasure of visiting. While I’m no travel influencer, nor did I feel like I had to take a picture at the spot where everyone else takes their selfies, my visit was shaped by my expectations of what these villages would be like, how I would experience them, and how tourist information guided me to these spots.
Thinking about fairy tales, rather than the region’s contentious history of being alternatively annexed by France and Germany over the last few centuries, makes for a more romantic view of this town, more likely to draw visitors and their selfies.
Photos courtesy of the author
Travel in the context of hyperreality involves the blending of real experiences with simulated or imagined ones, creating a world where distinctions between the two become increasingly difficult to identify. In today’s interconnected world, where digital advancements shape how we engage with the world, travel experiences are often framed by online platforms that offer a curated version of destinations, transforming them into idealized fantasies. For instance, the growing use of systems such as the online passport appointment system could possibly shift the travel experience, making the process of obtaining travel documents feel almost automated and detached from the real-world complexity it once involved. In this sense, technology might turn travel into an event that feels both accessible and distant, where the anticipation of visiting a place may not always align with the authentic experience of being there.
Your blog provides an insightful take on how travel influencers shape the concept of travel, yet it seems to overlook a key aspect: the accountability of influencers in shaping hyperrealistic expectations.
Travel influencers definitely shape how we perceive destinations! Their curated content brings the world closer, much like how storytelling is shaped in books. Proper book editing can also help craft experiences that resonate, making your narrative just as impactful.
Have you read Simulacra and Simulation? Also, do you have a working understanding of semiotics and structuralism?
We are arguing about someone’s actions, their facial expressions, your thoughts of the significance of those expressions, their reaction to your thoughts, your reaction to their reaction.
Travel influencers shape our insights on experiences, much like elegant and affordable jewelry enhances an outfit. Their content transforms ordinary moments into memorable stories!
This insightful article on travel and hyperreality highlights how social media influences our perceptions, making it a must-read for content creators. Just as professional book editing services enhance clarity, understanding these ideas helps craft more authentic and engaging content.
Your blog offers a thoughtful perspective on how travel influencers influence the idea of travel; however, it appears to omit a crucial element: the responsibility influencers bear in creating and promoting Environmental books for kids expectations.
Fascinating perspective! Baudrillard’s concept of hyperreality feels more relevant than ever in the age of social media—where the image often overshadows the actual experience.
Travel and hyperreality may create experiences where imagination blends with reality, turning destinations into spaces that feel both authentic and dreamlike. From cultural sites to modern attractions, travelers could find themselves immersed in moments that go beyond ordinary perception. There is always a chance that such experiences may reshape how one connects with places and memories. In some ways, even exploring fun things to do in wigan for free with kids could reflect how travel and hyperreality open doors to joy, meaning, and shared wonder.
This highlights how travel influencers shape our ideas of travel, blending reality with curated content. While inspiring, they can sometimes create an unrealistic view of travel experiences almost like a Suzanne A. Smith author .
Hyperreality can blend imagination with reality, turning destinations into dreamlike yet authentic experiences. Incorporating leadership development training into travel may reshape how travelers connect with places and memories, blurring the line between real and surreal.
The Preference for the “Absolute Fake”: Hyperreality in travel suggests a desire for an experience that is “more real than the real thing.” As Eco observed, destinations like theme parks (e.g., Disneyland) or meticulously reconstructed historical sites often offer a version of reality that is idealized, flawless, and predictable. Travelers may prefer this polished, simulated experience (the “absolute fake”) over the messiness and potential disappointment of the authentic, original site.
The Blurring of Simulation and Reality (The Simulacrum): The hyperreal traveler is often engaging with a simulacrum—a copy without an original. This is where the signs and symbols (a wax figure of a historical person, a theme park “jungle,” a photo-shopped image of a location) no longer refer to an external, physical reality, but rather to other signs. The traveler’s focus shifts from experiencing a place to consuming a manufactured image of that place.
The Loss of Authenticity and the Quest for the “Anti-Tour”: The realization that popular tourist destinations are often hyperreal—designed to sell a perfected fantasy—sparks a simultaneous, counter-movement: the desperate search for “authentic” experiences. This leads to the phenomenon of the “anti-tourist” or the “off-the-beaten-path” traveler, whose quest for the unfiltered reality ironically turns that very search into a new, highly-marketed, and thus semi-simulated, commodity.
Technology as the Hyperreal Lens: Modern technology, particularly social media and VR, acts as a primary tool for creating and consuming hyperreality in travel.
Before the Trip: We view highly curated, filtered images online, creating a perfected expectation that the real place must live up to.
During the Trip: We often view the location through our phone screens, immediately turning the genuine experience into a digital image (a simulacrum) to be shared and consumed. The act of photographing supersedes the act of seeing.
Hyperreality as a Comfort Mechanism: The controlled nature of hyperreal environments (like a cruise ship, an all-inclusive resort, or a themed experience) provides a sense of security and certainty. In a complex and often unpredictable world, the traveler can find pleasure in a curated experience where the dangers, unpredictability, and cultural friction of “real” travel have been carefully managed or eliminated, providing a safe, consumable form of the exotic.
Thank you for such a thoughtful and engaging piece. I really appreciate how you connect everyday travel behaviors—especially social media habits—to the concept of hyperreality in a way that feels both academic and very relatable. The examples you share make it clear how images don’t just document travel anymore but actively shape expectations, memories, and even emotions around the experience itself. This was an insightful read that encourages readers to reflect more critically on how media influences the way we travel and remember places.