Can we really believe travel ‘influencers’ ? – The Daily Telegraph

Have travel influencers distorted our perception of the planet with their glossy, airbrushed images? In this opinion column for The Telegraph I look into this new type of travel ‘journalist’ and ask if they’re good or bad for our understanding of the Earth and its unique cultures.

I’m both fascinated and perplexed by this mushrooming sub-culture, and snobbery or vitriol are certainly not my intentions. Travelling in the name of “work” is nothing short of a privilege and kudos to anyone who makes that happen. My gripe with influencers, however, has always been with the lack of authenticity in their output, having now encountered a good handful over the years. From what I’ve seen and heard, much of it is an utter sham.

Take, for example, the “travel and fitness blogger” with over a hundred thousand followers I once spotted in a hotel gym posing with free weights and machines, before posting a largely fictitious account of their workout. I was once also on a press trip in which an attendee solely ordered food based on its colour scheme. Once snapped, hardly any of the dishes got touched, just thrown away. Their bio also said they were “plant-based” but I’m pretty sure filet mignon doesn’t quite fall into that category.