Study questions impact of influencers on tourism

Keystone / Peter Klaunzer

A study by the University of St Gallen questions the promotional impact of influencers, but Switzerland Tourism maintains they are valuable.

Influencers with millions of followers promote Switzerland’s cities, landscapes, and hotels as holiday destinations, funded by Switzerland Tourism. This advertising technique has grown in popularity over recent years, but according to the University of St Gallen’s studyExternal link, its effectiveness is limited.

“They are nice pictures that are briefly noticed, but impressions from social media aren’t enough to truly convince people to travel,” says researcher Pietro Beritelli. To conduct the study, Beritelli analysed the reasons 700 people chose a particular holiday destination. While social media played a role, influencers were only a factor in very few cases. Word of mouth from friends, relatives, or acquaintances was a far more significant influence. Additionally, cultural or sporting events often prompted visits.

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Switzerland Tourism disagrees, continuing to invite influencers regularly. A survey of 23,000 guests led them to a different conclusion. “In South America, for example, 29% of tourists cite social media, including influencers, as the most important source of information and incentive for travel,” explains Markus Berger, a spokesperson for Switzerland Tourism, in an interview with Swiss public television, SRF.