It’s no secret that as Instagram has become more and more popular, people’s feeds have become more and more “perfect”, posing in front of famous monuments and admiring famous views, people curating their profiles to show off their best life. But are these photos a true representation of the experience they were having? When it comes to reminiscing on the summer months and re-living memories from recent trips, is it the photos on your Instagram that bring back the best memories, or is it the candid snaps on your camera roll that make you remember the fun and the laughter that was had?
Having noticed that it was becoming more and more normal for people to be travelling with an Instagram photo in mind and “doing it for the ‘gram” whilst abroad, travel specialists Travelbag were keen to find out the extent to which people really did value the photos they’d get for their social media. Were these amazing shots really reflective of the actual experiences they had whilst abroad, or were they posted just for the likes? Running a survey of social media users in the UK, Travelbag found that 75% of people admitted that their Instagram shots were adding a gloss to their globetrotting and weren’t a real representation of their time away. And that was something that Travelbag really wanted to change, to put the emphasis back on the experience, rather than getting the perfect photograph.
So with this in mind, Travelbag have launched their campaign, Not on Instagram. Not on Instagram champions the stories behind the less-than-perfect photos, proving that the shot doesn’t have to be Insta-perfect to be valuable. Telling real life stories from some of the most famous destinations in Australia and Thailand, it’s evident that the experiences that stick in most travellers’ minds weren’t the ones they post pictures of. Whether it was a surprise encounter with one of Australia’s most venomous snakes, curled up in an unsuspecting rucksack, or a race to clear away dead kangaroos in the outback before the dingoes arrived, Not on Instagram inspires the traveller in us all, showcasing the very best of what the world has to offer, if you just venture off the beaten track.
To explore the campaign and read the travel stories, click here.
