YouTube and Facebook are changing the way we travel

Facebook for every stage of vacation planning From appealing to friends for restaurant suggestions to posting photos of a beach holiday to turn co-workers green with envy, travelers are increasingly turning to Facebook for every stage of vacation planning, attendees heard at a major travel trade show in London this week.
At the World Travel Market show in London this week, senior Facebook executive Lee McCabe pointed out that holidaymakers are turning to the social media site at every stage of their travel planning process, “from dreaming and planning to experiencing and reflecting.”
Perhaps the best example of clever Facebook marketing is Tourism Australia's page which boasts more than five million fans -- the biggest destination fan page in the world -- and a seven percent engagement rate, as of November 7.
The country’s tourism board holds bragging rights to creating one of the most successful travel campaigns in the world with its “Best Jobs in the World” strategy that every year invites young adults to apply for jobs like "Chief Funster" and "Outback Adventurer."
A Facebook benchmarking report published last month from Social Pulse also found that pages about airlines, travel and tourism boasted more than 9 million fans among users in Australia in September -- second only to TV shows.
After Australia.com, the most popular travel-related Facebook pages were Visit Queensland, Australia, Dreamworld and Qantas.
Google’s head of travel Sarah McDonald also underscored the increasing importance of video introductions to hotels and destinations at the London conference, calling the medium “the brochure of the future.”
“It’s a powerful way to reach the target audience and push out a story. People are definitely seeking content on YouTube,” she said.
Source: Relaxnews