Hands up, whoever took a selfie on vacation? And have you given much thought beforehand to where to take it and how to present yourself? A selfie is one of the most shared vacation photos on Instagram. At least it proves that you’ve actually been to those beautiful places you’re talking about. Instagram while traveling—It’s just part of the experience now.
Naturally, we want our pictures to be as beautiful as those of the travel influencers that we follow on Instagram and the like. You might not choose your hotel according to its “Instagramability”, as some influencers actually do. Nevertheless, you’ll probably be happy if there are one or two spots where you can take your vacation hotel selfie. Our partners and we will tell you the sometimes more, sometimes less secret spots for the perfect selfie. But before we do, let’s take a look at what Instagram has to do with sustainable travel and how social media is influencing our travel habits.
Instagram while traveling: The Instagramability of places
The phenomenon of judging places by how well they can be shared on Instagram and other social media now has a term: Instagramability. If a place is “insta-worthy”, i.e., it is worth sharing on Instagram, depends not only on how beautiful it is, but also on how well you can showcase it or yourself there. While this can be positive, it also has negative effects that we should not ignore, especially as sustainable travelers.
But there is another way: many hotels have magical places that are perfect for your vacation selfie. In these locations you can take beautiful photos of yourself without suffering nature.
Dangers of an Instagram location
While reading, maybe the example of the natural infinity pool in the Berchtesgaden National Park has just come to your mind. But if not, here’s a quick recap for you: an influencer with high reach posted a picture of this place with an exact location. Meanwhile, the two hiking trails leading there have been closed. Reason: far too many people were striving to get there recently to take the perfect selfie. Masses of people who did not adhere to the National Park’s trail rules, created trampling paths right through nature, left their trash behind and so destroyed the fragile ecosystem.
Like the Infinity Pool, it happens also to many other places around the world. They were made famous by Instagram and then overtaken by an onslaught of selfie-takers that they were and are unable to cope with. Moreover, many people are overestimating themselves, risking serious injury, falls, or sometimes even their lives for the supposedly perfect selfie.
Instagram while traveling or travel for Instagram?
Really, how many times have you been to a place just to take a picture of it? Be honest. Especially when it comes to famous landmarks, we always catch ourselves going there just to check a box on the virtual list. We really don’t enjoy spending time on St. Mark’s Square in Venice or in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. After all, you’re surrounded by many other tourists who are just about to take a selfie. 😉
Part of sustainable travel is also a responsible approach to social media. Visiting places only briefly to take THE selfie and then travel on directly is not particularly sustainable. It doesn’t do anything for the local people. In the worst case, you leave nothing but negative effects on the economy, social structures or the environment.
What can we do about that?
Suppose you have discovered a particularly beautiful place during a hike. Maybe a natural pool, an enchanted clearing, or a rock with a gorgeous view. You’ll want to share your experience on Instagram, of course. However, to protect the location, you should refrain from giving exact coordinates.
If you’re visiting an Instagram hotspot yourself, don’t risk anything for a photo. Stay on the trails and keep your distance from fragile edges. It should go without saying that you take your trash back with you. Again: When you post the photo, don’t use the exact location, even if it’s a well-known spot. This way you don’t contribute to further publicity yourself and still share your travel memory with your followers.
How to take the perfect travel selfie: Tips and tricks for Instagram while traveling
No matter whether it’s a well-known spot, a hotel lobby or an insider tip you found yourself: it doesn’t take much to take the perfect selfie. Maybe you don’t even care what it looks like in the end and just want to capture a memory (or your loved ones back home want a sign of life). Still, you can take your selfie to the next level with a few simple tricks, all without beauty filters and retouching.
Thank you for sharing this well-prepared article. The explanations are detailed enough to educate while remaining easy to understand. The structure supports learning, and the consistent tone keeps readers engaged from beginning to end.