The elite and young independent travellers are crucial to the recovery of the travel sector as they are likely to be the first tourists to embark on international travel. 

However, according to a survey by GlobalData, a data analytics company, conducted between May 25 and 31, the result shows 35 pc of Gen Z and 48 pc of Gen Y are still extremely concerned about Covid-19.

Many travel and tourism influencers are drawn from this traveller group, and what they think of and write about in their travel experiences can be highly useful to travel marketing and so they will be indispensable for destination recovery if utilised effectively.

“Amid the pandemic, consumer habits have changed and the importance of having an effective social media presence has been heightened. Destination Management Organisations (DMOs) should engage with influencers and operate across multi-channel platforms to ensure a stronger position for recovery,” says Johanna Bonhill-Smith, travel & tourism analyst at GlobaData.

Both VisitGreece and FailteIreland top the list. Both DMOs have utilised influencers in marketing campaigns in the past to captivate travellers’ interests bringing real-time engagement worldwide. Twitter and YouTube have been the most widely used platforms for travel campaigning during Covid-19. Some campaigns released by DMOs, such as #DreamNowVisitLater (VisitNorway), have gained considerable interest and this is likely to reflect positively on the perception of the destination among younger demographics.