#AFCOTRAVELS – A World Built Around Instagram

By: Michael Gorecki

Human’s are visual beings. We rely on our sense of sight much more than any other of the senses. What we see has a huge reaction on how we act and what we do. That is why it is Instagram, an imaged based app, is one of the best marketing tools out there. Instagram appeals directly to our strongest decision-making sense, our eyes. With over 800 million active users, having a visually stunning Instagram is extremely important in attracting new business. Case in point, my trip to Indonesia, Australia, and New Zealand.

When I made my itinerary to these countries Instagram was my best friend. Instead of having to navigate through language barriers, poor website designs, and tons of reviews – I would simple judge a place, activity, location by how it looked on Instagram.If a restaurant or hotel did not look visually appealing I would move on to the next spot until I saw somewhere that caught my eye. From a user standpoint Instagram made making travel decisions quick and easy, I loved it. From a business standpoint Instagram could be their saving grace in breaking through the noise of these heavily competitive and saturated tourist destinations.

Through Instagram, companies are able to achieve a powerful social presence and increases their reach through content that they make themselves. The ROI on Instagram can be extremely high if companies can create a captivating account.

Below are the hotels & restaurants that were able to capture my attention and earn my dollars.

INDONESIA

• Chapung Se Bali @chapungsebali – just look at those amazing infinity and plunge pools
• Mozaic @mozaicrestaurantubud- along with being one best in Asia, Mozaic has an Instagram account that highlights not only the food but the dining experience as well.
• Sunday’s Beach Club @sundaysbeachclub – has a compelling mix of both awesome beach shots as well as lifestyle-centric photography

AUSTRALIA

• Matcha Mylkbar @matcha_mylkbar – this place was an Instagrammers paradise with rainbow-colored smoothies in skull glasses to charcoal lattes.
• Arbory @arboryeatery – delicious food shots with happy people… who could say no to that?

NEW ZEALAND

• Baduzzi @baduzzi – a foodies heaven, and Restaurant of the Year 2014