---
title: "Hotel Social Media Statistics 2026: Travelers and Brands"
date: 2026-10-30
author: "Supriya Gharat"
featured_image: "https://xtendedview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/hotel-social-media-statistics-travelers-brands-1.jpg"
categories:
  - name: "Internet"
    url: "/category/internet.md"
tags:
  - name: "Statistics"
    url: "/tag/statistics.md"
---

# Hotel Social Media Statistics 2026: Travelers and Brands

Over half of travelers (**61%**) now find trip ideas on social platforms, up from **35%** in 2022. Wakefield Research measured this for Expedia Group’s [2025 Traveler Value Index](https://ir.expediagroup.com/news-and-events/news/news-details/2025/Travel-Priorities-Reinvented-Expedia-Groups-2025-Traveler-Value-Index-Signals-a-Shift-in-Consumer-Priorities/default.aspx), surveying **11,000** adults across **11** markets. These hotel social media statistics set that traveler demand beside what hotel brands post, collect and answer on social platforms.

Sprout Social’s Q3 2025 Pulse Survey found **69%** of consumers anticipate using social to plan travel in the next year. Travel and hospitality brands respond to only **6%** of incoming messages and comments per day, per Sprout’s 2025 Travel & Hospitality Content Benchmarks Report. Marriott Hotels has **3.73 million** followers but a **0.02%** engagement rate, per Rival IQ’s live benchmarks.

## Key Takeaways

- Over half of travelers (**61%**) find trip ideas on social platforms, up from **35%** in 2022, according to Expedia Group’s 2025 Traveler Value Index.
- **73%** of travelers say influencer recommendations have influenced their decision to book a trip or travel component, and **84%** of travelers under 40 report that influencer recommendations have impacted their booking choices.
- **87%** of Gen Z consumers anticipate using social to plan travel in the next year, against **69%** of all consumers in Sprout Social’s Q3 2025 Pulse Survey.
- Steamboat earns a **0.69%** engagement rate on **352,000** followers, while Marriott Hotels earns **0.02%** on **3.73 million**, per Rival IQ’s live benchmarks, a rate gap of **34.5** times.
- Travelers shared **31.1 million** reviews and **38.1 million** photos and videos via the Tripadvisor website and app in 2024, according to Tripadvisor.
- Travel and hospitality brands respond to only **6%** of incoming messages and comments per day, and **73%** of social users in the 2025 Sprout Social Index would choose a competitor if a brand didn’t respond on social.
- Instagram is used by **50%** of US adults and **80%** of adults ages 18 to 29, per Pew Research Center’s 2025 survey.

## Editor’s Choice

- Meta family daily active people, June 2026 average: **3.60 billion**.
- Posts per brand per week in Rival IQ’s live travel landscape: **8.5**.
- Fraudulent reviews Tripadvisor stopped in 2024: **2.7 million**.
- Travelers who trust hotel staff as a travel planning resource, Hilton survey: **70%**.
- Consumers who say review-platform feedback influences booking, Q3 2025: **55%**.
- Americans using the app where TikTok GO launched: more than **200 million**.

## Hotel Social Media Statistics: How Travelers Plan Stays

- Over half of travelers (**61%**) now find trip ideas on social platforms, up from **35%** in 2022.
- The 2025 Traveler Value Index surveyed **11,000** nationally representative adults aged 18+ across **11** key markets, with fieldwork between February 14 and March 3, 2025.
- **69%** of consumers anticipate using social to plan travel in the next year, according to the Q3 2025 Sprout Social Pulse Survey.
- Travel and hospitality brands respond to only **6%** of incoming messages and comments per day.
- Three-quarters of travelers are willing to pay more for lodging with better reviews.

| Finding | Share | Survey | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Travelers who find trip ideas on social platforms | 61% | 2025 | Expedia Group |
| Travelers who found trip ideas on social platforms | 35% | 2022 | Expedia Group |
| Younger travelers willing to pay more for better-reviewed lodging | 80% | 2025 | Expedia Group |
| Social users who would choose a competitor if a brand didn’t respond | 73% | 2025 | Sprout Social |
| Consumers who anticipate using social to plan travel | 69% | Q3 2025 | Sprout Social |
| Incoming messages and comments travel and hospitality brands respond to per day | 6% | 2025 | Sprout Social |

*Source: Expedia Group 2025 Traveler Value Index, Sprout Social 2025*

The Expedia figures come from fieldwork in early 2025, so they are more than 12 months old; the Sprout figures date from 2025 as well.

### About This Data

Compiled from 9 sources: 5 company releases, 1 Pew Research Center fact sheet and 3 Sprout Social and Rival IQ analytics reports. Sources date from March 2025 to October 2026. Only publishers of their own survey, platform or benchmark data qualified; market-research sellers were excluded. Figures are reviewed on a rolling basis and updated when sources publish new editions.

## Social Media Travel Planning by Generation

- **87%** of Gen Z consumers anticipate using social to plan travel in the next year, compared with **69%** of all consumers.
- Travelers under 40 are more heavily swayed by social media: **84%** report that influencer recommendations have impacted their booking choices.
- **80%** of younger travelers are willing to pay more for lodging with better reviews.

 CONSUMERS PLANNING TRAVEL ON SOCIAL · Source: Sprout Social Q3 2025 Pulse Survey     CONSUMERS PLANNING TRAVEL ON SOCIAL  Sprout Social · Q3 2025 Social Travel Planning by Group, Q3 2025 (%)         Gen Z  87% Parents  83% Millennials  81% All consumers  69%  0 20 40 60 80 100    SOURCE Sprout Social Q3 2025 Pulse Survey    View the data| Group | Consumers planning travel on social (%) |
|---|---|
| Gen Z | 87 |
| Parents | 83 |
| Millennials | 81 |
| All consumers | 69 |





Three of the newest data points arrived in the past three months.

## Recent Developments

- **September 2026:** Hilton’s survey of over **14,000** travelers across **14** countries, conducted with Morning Consult, found **70%** of travelers trust hotel staff as a travel planning resource.
- **July 29, 2026:** Meta reported family daily active people of **3.60 billion** on average for June 2026, an increase of **3%** year over year.
- **October 2026:** Rival IQ’s live benchmarks for travel brands show **8.5** posts per brand per week and a **0.18%** engagement rate per post in the past 30 days.

## Social Media Platforms Travelers Use

- YouTube is used by **84%** of US adults, Facebook by **71%**, Instagram by **50%** and TikTok by **37%**, in Pew Research Center’s 2025 survey.
- Instagram use rose from **40%** of US adults in 2021 to **50%** in 2025, while TikTok rose from **21%** to **37%**.
- Sprout Social describes Instagram and TikTok as sparking inspiration through visuals and storytelling, Facebook as helping travelers gather recommendations and reviews, and Pinterest as supporting itinerary planning.
- Hospitality and tourism brands post an above-average percentage of video content across channels, and their single-image posts on Instagram decreased by nine points from 2023 to 2024.
- Meta reported **3.60 billion** family daily active people on average for June 2026.

 US ADULTS WHO EVER USE IT · Source: Pew Research Center Social Media Fact Sheet, survey conducted February 5 to June 18, 2025     US ADULTS WHO EVER USE IT  Pew Research Center · 2025 US Adults Using Each Platform, 2025 (%)         YouTube  84% Facebook  71% Instagram  50% TikTok  37% WhatsApp  32% Reddit  26% Snapchat  25% X (formerly Twitter)  21%  0 20 40 60 80 100    SOURCE Pew Research Center Social Media Fact Sheet, survey conducted February 5 to June 18, 2025    View the data| Platform | US adults who ever use it (%) |
|---|---|
| YouTube | 84 |
| Facebook | 71 |
| Instagram | 50 |
| TikTok | 37 |
| WhatsApp | 32 |
| Reddit | 26 |
| Snapchat | 25 |
| X (formerly Twitter) | 21 |





Pew surveys US adults only, so these shares describe American reach rather than global travelers. A single year also hides direction, so the next chart tracks the four most-used platforms in 2025 across Pew’s last four surveys.

 YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok · Source: Pew Research Center Social Media Fact Sheet, surveys from 2021 to 2025      Pew Research Center · 2021 to 2025 US Platform Use by Year (%) YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok            100 80 60 40 20 0                       YouTube (%): 84 Facebook (%): 71 Instagram (%): 50 TikTok (%): 37    2021 2023 2024 2025     SOURCE Pew Research Center Social Media Fact Sheet, surveys from 2021 to 2025    View the data| Year | YouTube (%) | Facebook (%) | Instagram (%) | TikTok (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 81 | 69 | 40 | 21 |
| 2023 | 83 | 68 | 47 | 33 |
| 2024 | 85 | 70 | 50 | 33 |
| 2025 | 84 | 71 | 50 | 37 |







### What are some statistics about social media?

Pew Research Center’s 2025 survey found **84%** of US adults ever use YouTube, **71%** use Facebook, **50%** use Instagram and **37%** use TikTok. Broader [social media statistics](/social-media-statistics/) follow the same pattern: a few platforms hold most of the audience that hotels try to reach.

## Social Media Platform Use by Age

- [Instagram adoption](/instagram-statistics/) reaches **80%** of US adults ages 18 to 29 and **19%** of those 65 and older.
- YouTube is used by **95%** of adults 18 to 29 and **64%** of adults 65 and older.
- TikTok is used by **63%** of adults 18 to 29 and **12%** of adults 65 and older.
- Facebook is used by **80%** of adults 30 to 49 and **68%** of adults 18 to 29.
- Pew conducted the survey of US adults from February 5 to June 18, 2025.

 YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok · Source: Pew Research Center, survey of US adults conducted February 5 to June 18, 2025       Pew Research Center · 2025 Platform Use by Age Group, 2025 (%) YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok    YouTube (%)  Facebook (%)  Instagram (%)  TikTok (%)          100 80 60 40 20 0   95%  68%  80%  63%  92%  80%  62%  44%  85%  74%  40%  30%  64%  57%  19%  12%   18 to 29 30 to 49 50 to 64 65 and older  YouTube (%) · 95% Facebook (%) · 68% Instagram (%) · 80% TikTok (%) · 63% YouTube (%) · 92% Facebook (%) · 80% Instagram (%) · 62% TikTok (%) · 44% YouTube (%) · 85% Facebook (%) · 74% Instagram (%) · 40% TikTok (%) · 30% YouTube (%) · 64% Facebook (%) · 57% Instagram (%) · 19% TikTok (%) · 12%    SOURCE Pew Research Center, survey of US adults conducted February 5 to June 18, 2025    View the data| Age group | YouTube (%) | Facebook (%) | Instagram (%) | TikTok (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 to 29 | 95 | 68 | 80 | 63 |
| 30 to 49 | 92 | 80 | 62 | 44 |
| 50 to 64 | 85 | 74 | 40 | 30 |
| 65 and older | 64 | 57 | 19 | 12 |







Reach is one measure; what hotel brands collect from it is another.

## Hotel Brand Social Media Followers

- Marriott Hotels has **3.73 million** followers and Ritz-Carlton has **1.95 million** in Rival IQ’s travel landscape.
- The average brand in the landscape grew its audience by **0.2%** in the last 30 days, and Amanresorts grew faster than everyone else, with **0.7%** growth.
- Kiawah Island Golf Resort has **214,000** followers and a **0.19%** engagement rate.

 FOLLOWERS · Source: Rival IQ live hotels and resorts benchmarks, October 2026     FOLLOWERS  Rival IQ · 2026 Hotel Brand Social Followers (millions)         Marriott Hotels  3.73 Ritz-Carlton  1.95 Iberostar  1.76 Amanresorts  1.45 Fairmont  0.85 Paradores  0.44 Steamboat  0.35 Broadmoor  0.23  0 0.8 1.6 2.4 3.2 4    SOURCE Rival IQ live hotels and resorts benchmarks, October 2026    View the data| Brand | Followers (millions) |
|---|---|
| Marriott Hotels | 3.73 |
| Ritz-Carlton | 1.95 |
| Iberostar | 1.76 |
| Amanresorts | 1.45 |
| Fairmont | 0.854 |
| Paradores | 0.438 |
| Steamboat | 0.352 |
| Broadmoor | 0.232 |





Rival IQ links Facebook, Instagram and X accounts for each brand; the follower totals were captured in October 2026 and are not Instagram-only counts. Other chains, such as Hilton, Hyatt and InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), sit outside this landscape, and their totals are not covered here.

## Hotel Social Media Engagement Rates

- Brands in Rival IQ’s live travel landscape published **8.5** posts per brand per week in the past 30 days, and each post earned more than **540.6** engagements on average.
- The average [engagement rate per post](/social-media-marketing-statistics/) in the landscape was **0.18%**.
- Steamboat’s engagement rate is **0.69%**, Broadmoor’s **0.26%** and Amanresorts’ **0.25%**; Steamboat’s rate is **34.5** times Marriott Hotels’ **0.02%**.
- On Facebook, images made up **64%** of the landscape’s posts at a **0.08%** engagement rate, while video made up **33%** at **0.04%**.
- Photos earned **1.5x** the engagement of other post types for travel brands on Facebook, and Reels outperformed other post types for travel brands for the third year in a row, per Rival IQ’s Social Media Industry Benchmark Report.

> **By the numbers:** The average brand in Rival IQ’s travel landscape posts **8.5** times per week, and each post earns more than **540.6** engagements, an engagement rate of **0.18%** per post. Marriott Hotels, with **3.73 million** followers, sits at **0.02%**, while Steamboat, with **352,000**, sits at **0.69%**. Audience size and attention move separately.

 ENGAGEMENT RATE · Source: Rival IQ live hotels and resorts benchmarks, October 2026     ENGAGEMENT RATE  Rival IQ · 2026 Hotel Brand Engagement Rate (%)         Steamboat  0.69% Broadmoor  0.26% Amanresorts  0.25% Fairmont  0.11% Ritz-Carlton  0.09% Paradores  0.08% Marriott Hotels  0.02% Iberostar  0.02%  0 0.14 0.28 0.42 0.56 0.7    SOURCE Rival IQ live hotels and resorts benchmarks, October 2026    View the data| Brand | Engagement rate (%) |
|---|---|
| Steamboat | 0.69 |
| Broadmoor | 0.26 |
| Amanresorts | 0.25 |
| Fairmont | 0.11 |
| Ritz-Carlton | 0.09 |
| Paradores | 0.08 |
| Marriott Hotels | 0.02 |
| Iberostar | 0.02 |





### How often do hotel brands post on social media?

Brands in Rival IQ’s live travel landscape averaged **8.5** posts per brand per week over the past 30 days. Amanresorts published **59** posts in the last 30 days. Rival IQ’s benchmark report found posting frequency for travel brands below median across the board. No captured benchmark sets a fixed posting rule, so measured cadence is the better reference.

## Influencer Marketing and Trust in Travel

- **73%** of travelers say influencer recommendations have influenced their decision to book a trip or travel component.
- Among travelers under 40, **84%** report that influencer recommendations have impacted their booking choices.
- Half of travelers (**50%**) say they are more likely to trust recommendations from someone with loyalty status than someone without it.
- More than half of travelers (**54%**) report feeling some sort of pressure to have the perfect trip.
- Social media content ranked fourth, with **29%** of the vote, among the factors that influence if consumers book travel with a company.

| Finding | Share | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Under-40 travelers whose booking choices influencer recommendations impacted | 84% | Expedia Group, 2025 |
| Travelers whose booking decision influencer recommendations influenced | 73% | Expedia Group, 2025 |
| Travelers who trust hotel staff as a travel planning resource | 70% | Hilton 2027 Trends Report |
| Travelers feeling pressure to have the perfect trip | 54% | Hilton 2027 Trends Report |
| Travelers more likely to trust recommendations from someone with loyalty status | 50% | Hilton 2027 Trends Report |
| Consumers naming social media content as a booking factor | 29% | Sprout Social, Q3 2025 |
| Travelers who try to accommodate a group | 24% | Hilton 2027 Trends Report |

*Source: Expedia Group 2025 Traveler Value Index, Hilton 2027 Trends Report, Sprout Social Q3 2025 Pulse Survey*

> **Key finding:** Hilton’s survey of over **14,000** travelers across **14** countries, conducted with Morning Consult, found **70%** trust hotel staff as a travel planning resource and **50%** are more likely to trust recommendations from someone with loyalty status. For hotels, staff advice competes with creators for the same planning moment.

Reviews are the other half of peer influence.

## Hotel Reviews and User-Generated Content

- Travelers shared nearly **80 million** contributions in 2024 via the Tripadvisor website and app, a **9%** increase from the last report, including **31.1 million** reviews and **38.1 million** photos and videos.
- Reviews for experiences, attractions and activities rose **45%** from the last report.
- **55%** of consumers said customer feedback on [review platforms](/online-review-statistics/) influences whether they book with a travel company, in Sprout Social’s Q3 2025 Pulse Survey.
- Three-quarters of travelers are willing to pay more for lodging with better reviews, and positive reviews are a key decision factor for hotels, vacation rentals, activities and cruises.

| Tripadvisor activity, 2024 | Figure |
|---|---|
| Total contributions | nearly 80 million |
| Photos and videos | 38.1 million |
| Reviews | 31.1 million |
| Reviews business owners responded to | over 11 million |
| Forum posts | almost 2.6 million |
| Questions members responded to | 257,000 |

*Source: Tripadvisor 2025 Transparency Report (2024 data)*

Tripadvisor released these 2024 totals in March 2025, so they are more than 12 months old. The release does not split them out for hotels alone, so the hotel-only share is not disclosed.

## Fake Hotel Reviews and Review Moderation

- Around 9 out of 10 reviews (**87.8%**) met Tripadvisor’s automation standards for posting in 2024.
- Tripadvisor’s Trust and Safety team moderated **4.2 million** reviews, **13.5%** of all reviews, either before or after posting.
- Tripadvisor safeguarded travelers from **2.7 million** fraudulent reviews in 2024.

> **Worth noting:** Review boosting, where business owners, employees or anyone affiliated with a business posts positive reviews to boost their own rankings, accounted for the majority of fake review submissions on Tripadvisor, **54%** of total fraud in 2024. The largest fraud category comes from the businesses being reviewed.

 SHARE OF REVIEWS · Source: Tripadvisor 2025 Transparency Report (2024 data)      SHARE OF REVIEWS  Tripadvisor · 2024 Tripadvisor Review Outcomes, 2024 (%)      87.8% MET AUTOMATION STANDARDS FOR POSTING    Met automation standards forposting 87.8%    Rejected through technologicalanalysis 7.3%    Flagged for review bymoderators 4.9%      SOURCE Tripadvisor 2025 Transparency Report (2024 data)    View the data| Review outcome | Share of reviews (%) |
|---|---|
| Met automation standards for posting | 87.8 |
| Rejected through technological analysis | 7.3 |
| Flagged for review by moderators | 4.9 |





## Booking Hotels Through Social Media

- Customer feedback on review platforms influences whether **55%** of consumers book with a travel company, followed closely by the quality of social customer care at **42%**.
- **73%** of social users would choose a competitor if a brand didn’t respond on social, per the 2025 Sprout Social Index.
- TikTok GO lets people in the United States discover and book hotels, attractions and tours directly on [the TikTok app](/tiktok-statistics/), which more than **200 million** Americans use.
- Its partners include Booking.com, Expedia, Viator, GetYourGuide, Tiqets and Trip.com.
- TikTok says tens of thousands of new posts are shared each day across accommodations and things to do.

 CONSUMERS WHO SAY IT INFLUENCES · Consumers who say it influences booking · Source: Sprout Social Q3 2025 Pulse Survey     CONSUMERS WHO SAY IT INFLUENCES  Sprout Social · Q3 2025 What Influences Travel Bookings, Q3 2025 (%) Consumers who say it influences booking         Customer feedback on review platforms  55% Quality of social customer care  42% Ease of booking directly from social  32% Social media content  29%  0 12 24 36 48 60    SOURCE Sprout Social Q3 2025 Pulse Survey    View the data| Factor | Consumers who say it influences booking (%) |
|---|---|
| Customer feedback on review platforms | 55 |
| Quality of social customer care | 42 |
| Ease of booking directly from social | 32 |
| Social media content | 29 |





TikTok’s announcement gives no booking volumes, so its reach figure describes the audience, not completed hotel stays.

## Conclusion

Over half of travelers (**61%**) now find trip ideas on social platforms, yet travel and hospitality brands respond to only **6%** of incoming messages and comments per day. The average post in Rival IQ’s live travel landscape earns a **0.18%** engagement rate. Across these hotel social media statistics, traveler demand sits on social feeds and review platforms. Brand accounts trail on response.

TikTok GO now lets people in the United States book hotels directly in the app. Booking inside social apps turns the response gap from a reputation question into a sales question. The next Rival IQ and Sprout Social benchmarks will show whether hotel brands close it.