One thing is clear in the world of traveling— the way we travel has radically changed since social networks exploded onto the scene; both with regard to the planning phase and to broadcasting the stay from the destination itself, these have become a source of information and inspiration, increasingly influencing our decisionmaking.

Among the effects is the fact that we’ve become voyeurs— we love images that show us the lives of others and, in the case of influencers, the life we would like to lead, even if only for a few moments.

Always traveling to paradise, always eating the best breakfast and always closer to the beach than any other mortal at this moment— this is how influencers travel and what they show us on their profiles. If we all want to be like our favorite opinion leaders, why not give it a try?

Using this idea, Barceló Hotel Group brings you these ideal vacations through its Barcelostories.com project where over 50 of the most internationally-recognized Instagrammers share more of 500 pictures and videos of their Caribbean experiences to inspire future travelers. Going to where they’ve been has never been so easy.

The use of Instagram, the most important decision-making tool, has doubled in use in just two years

A bit of context: six out of every 10 people in the world have a cell phone, on which they spend an average of 170 minutes per day. What do they do? According to the latest Ditrendria Report in 2017, Mobiles in Spain and in the World,they watch videos, browse the internet, and of course, go on social networks.

Despite the fact that you can’t fathom spending any more timeopening and closing these apps than you already do, according to experts in the sector this trend has only just begun; experts predicted that by 2022 our favorite pastime of seeing what our friends (and enemies) and leading influencers are up to will increase by 39%, and already in the past two years Instagram use has doubled, exceeding 400 million active users. This activity has changed our relationships with our interests, from fashion and food to travel.

And there is no lack of examples: the famous images of Trolltunga Rock in Norway caused an increase in its number of visitors from 500 to 40,000 in just five years; and theareas preferred by influencers in New Zealand saw an increase of 14%. The reason?

Social network content that transformed these places into must sees by so-called social travelers.

Blogger Andie Fitzgerald:

Barceló Stories: 5 clicks away, from Instagram to booking the experience

Given that we love to let our fantasies control our thumbs and it’sthey that click on the heart icon each time the travel influencers Thiago Correa or Courtney Scott post a photo of their latest adventure on Instagram, the Barceló Stories platform is back for its second year with over 20 new faces (in 2016 there were already 26 Instagrammers) from the United States, Brazil, Mexico, Canada and Russia. They share their travel experiences from a dozen Barceló Hotel Group hotels in Aruba, Costa Rica, Mexico and the Dominican Republic, using videos they made themselves which serve as inspiration for all those planning a vacation.

Through the website, future travelers can access all of the necessary information to replicate the plan and even book their stay and experiences in the exact same place where the leading Instagrammers stayed. Is it possible to travel like them? Barceló Hotel Group gives its response through the Barceló Stories platform— yes, and it can be done in under five clicks.

Blogger Alex Lettrich:

This way travelers can replicate the plans of 50 known influencers, choosing their future vacations based on social content. Barceló Stories allows new travelers to become inspired by applying filters for preferred destination and interests.

And this so-called social travel is also a plus for travelers with very clear interests: food, sports, beauty and romantic getaways are just some of the options offered by the platform to complete the steps taking you from a post on social media to the perfect vacation.

See the video here.

Over 80 million photos shared per day— a record of inspiration
Because each day an average of over 80 million photos are sharedon Instagram, because 1.9 billion people around the world regularly log onto social media and because one of the three most-bought products by cell-phone users on their smartphones are travel-related, it is clear what millions of people are sharing, without being totally conscious of it— we love to see and be seen, and if it’s in a bathing suit with a platter of freshly-cut fruit in the frame and the blue sea in the background, even better. Like.

About the Barceló Hotel Group:
Barceló Hotel Group, the hotel division of the Barceló Group, is the 3rd largest chain in Spain and 42nd in the world. It currently has 232 4- and 5-star urban and resorthotels, over 50,000 rooms in 21 countries and is marketed under four brands: Royal Hideaway Luxury Hotels & Resorts, Barceló Hotels & Resorts, Occidental Hotels & Resorts and Allegro Hotels.

www.barcelogrupo.com