Would you like to know how to improve your travel planning skills? Right now, at this moment?
The answer is easier than you think.
It is really easy!
Do not let anyone or anything ruin your travel planning and holidays in general! Not even your subconscious!
Believe it or not, your subconscious can sabotage your travel planning! Even if you do not realize it. I guess that is why it is called subconscious!
We are hugely influenced by our surroundings. And even if you try really hard not to be influenced by social media, you probably are. We definitely are đ
Would you like to learn how to perfect your travel planning skills? Read our post abour Reverse travel planning strategy!
Every day we see thousands of photos, images and feeds from other travellers. It might inspire you, but it might even frustrate you. The reality is, that everything we see stays in our mind and affects our thought process.
Social media, even if you don´t realize, has had a huge impact on our holiday’s choices, from activities to locations and photos. More than 25% of travellers admitted they have felt the need to visit a certain location because they´d seen it on a social media platform. Nearly half of travellers say that social media negatively impacted their vacation.
Here are 6 things you do that ruin your travel planning and 6 ways how to improve your travel planning skills:
You follow trendy destinations
Have you ever noticed how some destinations get trendy? Like Sri Lanka? Have you noticed how everyone has visited Sri Lanka in two recent years?
And what about Iceland? A few years ago, some people did not even know that Iceland existed, and today? Iceland experience a massive increase in tourism in recent years.
And why?
The reasons why some destinations become trendy vary, of course. Maybe there is a new budget airline that flies there. Maybe some influencer visited the country and everyone got crazy about it?
But you know what all those trendy destinations have in common?
They are super, crazy expensive.
My motto in travel planning: “If everyone talks about it, don´t go there.” And it´s not that we would not like to visit the place, but we rather wait. Wait until the crazy fever goes away. We personally don´t want to compete with hundreds of thousands of people for accommodation, cars and photos.
So, opt for a different country and save yourself money and stress. Don´t be afraid to be differentâŚ
WOW Affect
Don´t try to impress with your holiday anyone except you.
Own your holidays â it is your holidays!
Is everyone posting super cool photos, adventure videos and glamorous shots? While your ideal holiday idea is to lie on the beach and read a book? But that is not that cool right?
Or maybe you enjoy visiting historical churches or museums? But is it trendy enough?
Not everyone who plans trips falls into this trap, but many do. And it is unfortunate.
Do not be afraid to stand behind your holidays. It is your time off, do not let social media to influence your feeling about you and your preferences.
If you would love to level up with top travel bloggers and influencers you would have to invest a lot. Not only time but also money. Just to be able to have as impressive shots you would have to buy a camera, drone and all the gadgets. And on top of that be a master of Photoshop! Don´t forget that one small detail!
Let us for example. We love taking photos of our trips. Are our photos as impressive as some influencers and travel bloggers? Probably not. Do we use filters? No.
If we followed the stereotype of social media travel bloggers we would have to shoot super cool photos, swimsuit photos of my butt. You get where I am going with it.
We take selfies just if there is no one else to take photos of us. But just rarely we post them. We take photos of our surroundings, mountains, and nature. Because that is the reason why we love to travel. And that is also what we want to show you.
Why WOW Affect?Â
Because nowadays some travellers tend to WOW. From dangerous photos, cool collages to photos to just impress. The study shows that in the chase to impress, travellers are twice likely to do something dangerous for excitement. Influencers try to do something that no one has ever done before to impress followers. Without realizing they can even hurt the environment or other people.
Have you ever heard about Uluru? The massive rock in the middle of Australia Outback? Did you know it is the sacred land of native Australians? Did you know that they forbid tourists from climbing it? And did you know that more than half of tourist have climbed it? All for just cool photos from the top of it…
Fortunatelly, that is done for now as a climbing ban is in order.Â
Uluru is not the only landmark that is ruined by reckless tourists.Â
Have you heard about Field of Poppies?
One of the most famous travel blogger – Expert Vagabond has a great article about the whole issue. Also, Ontario Sun Flower farm banned all instagrammers and travellers that were ruining their plants just for a photo.Â
In the world of fake influencers, be the real traveller!
Everyone visits it, so I have too
Everyone visits THE National park, I have too. Because if I don´t post a picture from it, it is like I have never even been there. Sounds familiar?
And preferably take the same picture, right? Where did creativity go?Â
Do you want to have a good laught? Visit an Instagram account insta_repeat đ
Social proof that you have visited the place
What if you visit a place and did not post it on social media?
Does it mean that you actually have not been there???
Silly question right?
Well, I have met many, many, many people who think that way.
Just because you don´t post it on social media, it doesn´t mean you have a boring life! It just means that no one else needs to be part of it.
Trying to keep up with your friends when they travel with you
Travelling with friends or any group bring some unexpected obstacles. More than 17% of travellers said they felt frustrated by their travel companion´s focus on social media.
We prefer to travel as a couple because we know our limitations. Once we have travelled in a group of friends and it felt uneasy. The problem was that we didn´t straight our expectations right. Our friends had almost twice as big travel budget as we had, so we kind of felt like we were slowing them down. The group was not cohesive with activities, program and not only a budget.
We felt like we were forced to overbudget just to keep up with our group. So, before agreeing to travel in a group, decide on important questions like:
Do you have the same budget?
Do you have the same travel style?
Do you enjoy the same things?
Not be present!
Are you seeking all the Instagram pictures that everyone else has? Are you frustrated that your photos don´t look the same? Is your travel itinerary too tight, so you don´t have time to enjoy it? Almost half of the travellers said they had felt “worried” about missing out on experiences during their holiday as they tried to tick off everything on their lengthy to-do list.
Almost 97% of travellers will share travel experiences on social media, with 2 in 3 postings once a day.
You planned it, you researched it and you did a travel itinerary. Don´t ruin it. When you finally have time to travel, enjoy it 100%. Be present and feel the moment. Enjoy the view, take pictures as a loving memory but mainly – Enjoy it!
This year we took absolutely uninteresting holidays. I mean uninteresting for social media. We were so tired, so beaten up from work and family issues that we decided to travel to a beachy destination and do ABSOLUTELY nothing!
Yes, nothing special.
We were not in a mood to take any social media pictures, travel around or do anything. We just needed to be together, plug off from everyone and everything, eat and drink đ
Do not feel ashamed to do it, too. Your holiday, your choice!
I hope you guys liked it. If you did, please share it with your friends. And as always we would love to hear from you, do you agree with us? What ruins your travel planning? Let us know in the comment section down below.Â
