It is so indispensable today to take pictures of oneself when traveling, it has become necessary to include them in the marketing plans of tourism enterprises. These snapshots become free advertising for hotels
They have been present since we started travelling with a camera, even the one with traditional film. But, without a doubt, it was the move to digital world that has made the ever present photos of oneself become ‘selfies’ that, sometimes even aided by a stick, catch our best pose accompanied by the best context.
Beyond monuments and buildings of interest, ‘selfies’ immortalize our experiences and sensations in spectacular places, restaurants with tasty dishes and glamorous bars.
The fact of the matter is, the initial objective to keep a memory is joined by the need for social approval. In the world of today, if our experiences are not displayed online, it is as though they have not been lived. Tourists need to make their friends jealous, with the excuse of recommending places they are enjoying. This is the famous “postureo,” giving pretence without any more transcendental purpose.
And the hotels and tourism companies are well aware of this. Therefore, the ‘selfies’ are present in their plans and marketing campaigns. Free advertising is just a customer’s click away.
It just takes a corner that is flirtatious or original for some reason. There is no need to elaborate any plan or prepare a budget. It only takes a simple contest, a hashtag and a prize for clients to start sharing photos taken in the hotels’ facilities while they multiply their presence due to virality.
Other hotels opt for enhancing the views from their terraces, indicating a ‘selfie point’ from which to get the best views of the city. Others offer specific areas that allow taking such photographs. Such is the case of the Hotel 1888 in Sydney which shares instantly on the reception screens the ‘selfies’ taken by its guests, or BlueBay Grand Esmeralda in the Riviera Maya, which allows its clients to share photos on Facebook taken with a special camera.
And if this trend continues, coupled with the photo social network: Instagram that grows exponentially every month, hotels must be prepared to show a total “instagrameable” look, far beyond a mere corner or a well prepared space.
