Share this article
It's worth doing your homework on a hotel or attraction to avoid disappointment. Photo / Unsplash
Planning a trip? It pays to take dreamy recommendations on social media with a grain of salt or risk being caught in an Instagram trap.
After scrolling through Instagram pictures posted by people at a hotel overseas, you’re convinced it’s the perfect place to stay. From the beautifully crafted cocktails to the large infinity pool, every post makes the hotel look like something from a Hollywood film. But when you show up, you soon realise the pictures don’t tell the full story.
Search Instagram for posts made by people at The Museum of Icecream in New York and you’ll see a rosy collage of happy, smiley people.
Groups of friends laugh in pools filled with giant sprinkles while couples hold hands inside rainbow-lit archways. Others strike fierce poses in buttercup yellow thrones or lie across millennial pink subway seats.
A post shared by Madison (@maddiegdietz)
If pictures are worth a thousand words, there are millions and they all seem to speak of pure joy.
Words on the museum’s TripAdvisor page, however, tell a different, more nuanced story. One that suggests, unless you’re only there to take photos and leave, the experience is overpriced and overcrowded. Yet, from social media, people seem to have the time of their lives.
Welcome to an Instagram trap.
Simply put, an Instagram trap is a venue or experience that prioritises how it will look in photographs, sometimes at the expense of how it feels to be there in real life.
The term was originally used to describe art shows or museum exhibits that were more concerned with aesthetics than substance; “Instagramable” environments that photograph well and prompt people to share, regardless of whether the experience was enjoyable.
A famous example of this is The Museum of Ice Cream, which opened in New York in 2016 and is, essentially, a collection of displays that serve as Instagram backgrounds. The museum instantly became a hit and launched in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Austin and Singapore soon after.
However, according to art critic Ben Davis, as social media has grown as a cultural force, the phenomenon has moved past the art world.
“Sharing photos of things has now become the main driver of the outside-the-home experience economy, with design implications for everything from restaurants to architecture to vacation resorts, which are being reworked around the principle,” he wrote.
The result? Places that make an effort to look flawless and fun on Instagram but involve costs only revealed in real life. It’s the rooftop bar with incredible views and decor but terrible food, the beautiful landmark that involves a long queue to pose beside or the hotel with a famous pool but cramped, expensive rooms.
Deceptive advertising is nothing new; people have been misled about hotels, activities and other travel-related experiences long before platforms like Instagram or TikTok were around.
What is different about an Instagram trap is that you aren’t just being wooed by a company or business, but everyday people, or in some cases, family and friends.
As a tool for destination and itinerary inspiration, social media platforms can be invaluable for travellers. With a few swipes and taps, you can learn about the best place to grab a coffee in Melbourne or the perfect pitstop during a Slovenia road trip.
Fortunately, the solution isn’t avoiding social media or unfollowing people on holiday but knowing how to keep expectations in check.
One of the best ways to do this is by cross-referencing any travel inspiration found in an Instagram Reel or TikTok clip on other platforms. Primarily, review platforms.
While Instagram is geared towards projecting a certain image (often a perfect one) websites like Google Reviews, TripAdvisor or Booking.com encourage people to share honest opinions on things they have done or purchased.
This becomes useful for those planning travel, as you can research almost anything from a wellness spa on the Gold Coast to a mountain bike tour in Nepal.
So, hundreds of thousands of people may post gorgeous snaps of a restaurant beside the Eiffel Tower or the view atop New York’s Empire State Building, but online review platforms will offer context and feedback about what the experience feels like.
Naturally, travel is subjective and what one person loves another will dislike, but reviews can often prepare us for the challenges or drawbacks, as well as provide advice or tips to minimise them.
Additionally, you can go a step further and seek advice offline. If you know an old school friend, colleague, cousin or acquaintance who recently returned from a city you plan to visit, reach out and ask them about the experience.
What did they love and what surprised them? How would they do it differently and, perhaps, whether they tumbled into an Instagram trap themselves?
Share this article