Content creation: an essential lever

In a world where travellers are increasingly connected, social media has become one of the essential tools for players in the tourism sector. Whether you are a hotelier, a restaurateur or an activity provider, you can no longer ignore the importance of these platforms for attracting, engaging and retaining your guests. Yet, although the impact of social media is recognized, its use in tourism often remains poorly mastered. How do you create content that truly captures your audience’s attention? What strategy should you adopt to take full advantage of these tools? And how do you measure the return on investment of your efforts? In this article, we will explore best practices for creating an effective social strategy in the tourism sector. You will discover practical advice, concrete examples and tools to help you maximize the impact of your social media actions and, ultimately, boost your bookings.

Ready to boost your visibility through content creation?

Why is social media essential in tourism?

Today, social media is an indispensable communication channel for tourism professionals. It no longer simply presents your services: it directly influences users’ travel decisions. From the inspiration phase to booking, these platforms act as a powerful lever for visibility and engagement. But why have they become so essential in the tourism sector, and above all, how can you take full advantage of them?

A digital shop window for your property

Imagine your social media as your online tourist brochure, accessible 24/7 and visible anywhere in the world. Today, 92% of travellers turn to social media to plan their holidays, and these platforms directly influence their booking decisions.

1. Travellers dream before they book: before choosing a destination or accommodation, guests look for inspiration. Your photos, videos and testimonials should allow them to “picture” their future stay with you.
2. Your social media replaces (and outperforms) traditional tools: where a paper brochure is fixed, an Instagram or Facebook account can be updated regularly, adapted to the season, and interactive.

• Tell a story with your visuals: post immersive images of your rooms, your dishes, or local activities. Use a consistent style (filter or colour palette) to give your posts a visual identity.

Example: a lakeside hotel can post a “drone” video showing the view from the rooms at sunrise.

• Create albums or stories dedicated to your guests: share before/after photos of events (weddings, family stays, etc.) to illustrate what travellers can experience with you.

Example: “Thanks to our facilities, Léa and Hugo celebrated their wedding by the ocean. Discover their memories in pictures!”

Find out how to use algorithms to amplify your reach, without spending an extra euro.

Gaining visibility through algorithms

Publishing content on social media is not enough to reach your target audience. It is the platforms’ algorithms (Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, etc.) that decide which posts will be highlighted and seen by the greatest number of people. Understanding and leveraging these mechanisms is therefore essential for tourism professionals.

Organic reach: even without paid advertising, algorithms reward engaging content (likes, shares, comments) by showing it to a wider audience.

Local focus: platforms favour content relevant to a given geographic area, which is a huge advantage for tourism players.

How do you optimize your posts to please the algorithms?

1. Create authentic and engaging content

• Ask your audience questions: “What is your favourite spot to watch the sunset in our region?”
• Share “challenges”: “Show us your best photo taken at our place with the hashtag #VacancesChezNous.”

2. Ride the trends

Short videos, such as Instagram Reels or TikToks, are promoted by the algorithms. Show dynamic scenes: a chef preparing a signature dish, things to do in the region, how you prepare for your guest’s arrival. You need to give your guests a real experience.

3. Use strategic hashtags and geotags

• A hotel in Brittany can use #BretagneTourisme or geotag “Golfe du Morbihan” to attract visitors looking specifically for this region.
• Include keywords in your content, because hashtags are bound to disappear.

Learn how social media can turn your followers into a loyal and engaged community.

Loyalty and engagement in content creation: the key to success

Did you know that retaining a guest costs 5 times less than acquiring a new one? Social media not only lets you build a lasting relationship with your guests, but also turns your followers into true ambassadors for your brand.

Creating an emotional bond: guests do not just book accommodation or an activity; they buy an experience. Social media is the ideal way to nurture this emotional bond after their stay.

The power of digital word of mouth: an engaged follower (who comments on, shares and interacts with your content) contributes to your visibility among their own contacts, amplifying your brand awareness.

How do you create and maintain engagement?

• Showcase your guests: reshare their posts or testimonials on your own social media.

Example: “Thank you @MarieVoyageuse for these wonderful photos of your stay with us! 🏖️ We can’t wait to see you again.”

• Offer exclusive benefits: run contests reserved for your followers or announce promotions to your community first.

Example: “Win a free night by sharing your best photo with the hashtag #SéjourChezNous.”

• Engage your community: host live sessions (virtual tour, Q&A with the owner or the chef), offer interactive mini-games or polls.

In summary, social media has become an essential tool for tourism professionals. It serves as a digital shop window, letting you showcase your property with immersive and inspiring visual content. By understanding and using algorithms, you can amplify your organic reach and reach a local, targeted audience. Finally, social media is a powerful loyalty lever, building an engaged community and turning your followers into ambassadors for your brand. In the next section, we will see how to create emotional and authentic content that captivates travellers and encourages them to book.

How do you create attractive and relevant content for tourism?

In the tourism sector, where the guest experience begins well before the stay, creating attractive content is a powerful lever for capturing travellers’ attention and prompting them to take action. But what makes content effective? It must stir emotion, reflect authenticity and above all meet the expectations of modern travellers. In this section, we will explore three essential pillars of content creation: emotion and storytelling, the importance of striking visuals, and creating interactive content.

Focusing on emotion and storytelling

Travellers are above all looking for memorable experiences, and that is where emotion comes into play. Good storytelling can turn a simple accommodation or activity into an adventure that guests will absolutely want to experience.

Emotion drives purchasing decisions: according to a Harvard study, consumer decisions are influenced first and foremost by emotions rather than logic.

Creating a personal connection: by telling a story, you immerse your prospects in an experience and allow them to picture themselves directly in their stay.

• Humanize your property: talk about its history, how it was founded, the people who work there, or local traditions.

Example: “For 30 years, our family has welcomed travellers to our old Breton farmhouse, where breakfast is always homemade with produce from the market.”

• Spotlight your guests: tell their experiences through testimonials.

Example: “Alice, a young mother, discovered our eco-friendly campground. Discover her weekend of nature and family activities.”

• Inspire with scenarios: “Imagine waking up to birdsong, coffee in hand, admiring the mountains in the distance.”

Discover how striking visuals reinforce your messages and captivate your audience.

Creating striking and immersive visuals

In tourism, visuals are not an accessory: they are at the heart of your communication strategy. A well-chosen image or a captivating video can trigger an instant desire to travel in your audience.

Fast, universal communication: a photo or video conveys emotion in a split second, far faster than words.

A tool to stand out: on social media, where competition is fierce, quality visuals can set you apart in your prospects’ news feed.

• Invest in quality: if possible, hire a professional photographer, or use a smartphone with good resolution and simple editing techniques (with Lightroom or Canva).

Example: a hotel can invest in aerial (drone) photos to capture the breathtaking view of the sea or the mountains.

• Add a human touch: photos with people (guests or staff) are more engaging.

Example: show a couple sharing a romantic meal on a panoramic terrace.

• Vary the formats: alternate between photos, short videos (Reels, TikTok) and image carousels to maintain interest. Each format has its own strategy and purpose.

Discover how interactive content can turn your followers into active ambassadors.

Offering interactive content to engage your audience

Interactive content lets you directly involve your audience, creating a sense of closeness and belonging. This type of content is particularly effective for tourism players, because it invites travellers to share their own experiences.

Increases engagement: interactive content (polls, quizzes, contests) generates on average twice as many interactions as standard content.

Get your community involved: by involving your followers, you turn them into co-creators of your content.

• Run polls and quizzes

What is your favourite holiday activity? 🏖️ Relaxation or 🌄 Adventure? Answer in our story!”

• Launch participatory contests

Share your best photo taken in our region with the hashtag #VacancesChezNous for a chance to win a free weekend.”

• Encourage User Generated Content (UGC)

Encourage your guests to share their experiences on social media with a dedicated hashtag. Then reshare their posts on your own pages to create a community effect.

Creating attractive and relevant content in tourism relies on several complementary aspects. First, emotion and storytelling transport travellers into memorable experiences while creating a strong emotional bond with your brand. Next, striking visuals play a key role, capturing attention with immersive images and videos that inspire dreams at first glance. Finally, interactivity reinforces engagement by directly involving your audience, whether through polls, contests or content generated by users themselves. In the next section, we will see how to measure the impact of your social media strategy and adjust your actions to maximize your results.

Implementing an effective strategy to manage your social media

Having a presence on social media is not enough: to achieve concrete results, you need to develop a clear strategy adapted to the specifics of your sector. Effective management relies on rigorous planning, choosing the right tools, and continuous performance analysis to optimize your actions. In this section, we will explore three fundamental aspects: the importance of planning and the editorial calendar, the tools that simplify day-to-day content creation management, and the indicators to track to measure your results.

Planning and creating an editorial calendar

A successful strategy relies above all on solid planning. An editorial calendar lets you organize your posts, vary the types of content and keep your messages consistent.

Ensuring regularity: a regular presence on social media strengthens your visibility and your audience’s engagement.

Anticipating key moments: the key periods in the tourism sector (seasons, events, school holidays) must be built into your strategy.

• Identify your objectives: do you want to attract bookings, build guest loyalty or promote a specific offer? Each post must have a clear objective.
• Choose which networks to use: there is no point being everywhere; you need to publish content where your target audience is. Start with one network, master it, then move on to the next.
• Define the content: based on your objectives, list the types of content suited to your strategy.
• Alternate formats: plan a mix of simple posts, reels, carousels, stories and interactive posts.
• List key dates: highlight recurring themes such as Christmas, the summer holidays or the Journées du Patrimoine (European Heritage Days) to create relevant content.

Discover the essential tools to manage your social media effectively.

Using the right tools for simplified management of your content creation

Managing social media can quickly become time-consuming. Fortunately, many tools help you become more productive while optimizing your results.

Automate your tasks: scheduling posts or managing comments can be automated, leaving you more time for other activities.

Optimize your time: these tools centralize all your platforms in one place, making day-to-day management easier.

The tools we recommend:

• scheduling: Meta Business, Hootsuite or Buffer;
• visual creation: Canva is perfect for creating professional visuals without design skills;
• analysis: Google Analytics or the social networks’ native statistics (Meta Business Suite, TikTok Insights) let you track your performance;
• Automation: ManyChat to send automatic messages;
• Galaxy: prospecting on LinkedIn.

Learn how to analyze your results and adjust your strategy to reach your objectives.

Analyzing your performance to optimize your actions

Measuring the impact of your social media efforts is essential to understand what works and what can be improved. Analyzing key indicators helps you adjust your strategy and maximize your return on investment.

Improve your campaigns: by identifying the best-performing content, you can replicate your successes.

Understand your audience: data analysis reveals your followers’ expectations and preferences.

The KPIs to track:

• engagement rate: indicates the interest generated by your posts (likes, comments, shares);
• conversions: track the bookings or sales directly attributed to your social media actions;
• traffic to your website: how many clicks do your posts generate to your website or booking pages?

5 actions to adjust your strategy

Adjusting your social media strategy is an essential step to guarantee optimal results. Trends evolve, your audience’s expectations change, and your objectives may also shift over time. Here is how to adapt your actions to stay relevant and effective.

1. Analyze your data regularly

Ideally, take stock every month or every quarter to assess whether your objectives are being met.

• centralize statistics from social platforms and your website;
• analyze trends (which content generates more interactions, or whether certain days and times lead to better visibility);
• compare them with your objectives.

2. Identify your strengths and weaknesses

Once the data has been analyzed, step back to understand what works and what needs adjusting.

• Your strengths: which content or actions generate the most engagement? For example, if your immersive Instagram videos receive many comments and shares, keep investing in this format.
• Your weaknesses: which content falls short of your expectations? For example, a low engagement rate on certain posts may indicate that the message or visuals do not resonate with your audience.

3. Test new approaches

Adjusting your strategy also involves experimentation. Test new ideas to understand what might work better with your audience.

• Change formats: if your photos are not engaging enough, try short videos, lives or interactive stories.
• Change the tone or the message: overly formal communication can sometimes put people off. Adopt a more relaxed and authentic tone to test reactions.
• Test new posting times: publish at different times of day to identify the most engaging time slots.
• Diversify campaigns: include collaborations with influencers or offer exclusive content, such as a guide to the best local experiences.

4. Use A/B Testing

A/B Testing is an effective method for comparing two approaches and determining which performs better. For example:

• Test two different visuals for the same campaign.
• Vary the calls to action: “Book now” vs. “Discover our exclusive offers”.
• Publish similar content on two platforms (Instagram vs. TikTok) to see where the audience reacts most.

5. Adjust continuously

The tourism sector is particularly dynamic. What works today may not be as effective tomorrow. By regularly analyzing your performance and keeping an eye on trends, you can continuously refine your strategy.

• Stay informed: subscribe to blogs and newsletters specializing in tourism and digital marketing (for example, L’Écho Touristique or HubSpot) to identify new trends.
• Involve your team: if you work with a team or partners, hold regular check-ins to share your observations and adjust your actions together.

Social media and content creation are no longer optional in the tourism sector: they have become an essential lever for attracting, engaging and retaining your guests. Whether you are a hotelier, a restaurateur or a tourism activity operator, a well-thought-out strategy and impactful content will help you capture travellers’ attention and stand out in a highly competitive market. By mastering the codes of storytelling, creating attractive and interactive visuals, and planning your actions precisely, you maximize the impact of your online presence. Remember that analyzing your performance and constantly adjusting your actions are key steps to stay relevant and meet your audience’s evolving expectations. Finally, draw inspiration from the best practices and successful strategies of other tourism players to refine your own campaigns. By investing in a consistent and effective social strategy, you will not just attract guests: you will build a true community around your brand.

→ Discover our other articles on digital trends in tourism

Julie
Communication Manager
In partnership with Jennifer Therond