New research from Phocuswright indicates that excessive brand partnerships may undermine travel creators’ credibility, even as their influence on booking decisions grows.

“The Creator Effect: Harnessing the Power of Collaboration in Travel” study finds that 49% of social media followers report diminished trust in travel accounts that feature numerous brand collaborations or advertisements despite the proven effectiveness of such partnerships in driving conversions.

Travel creators rank as the third most consulted source for travel advice, with 67% of followers considering them helpful, trailing only online travel agencies (70%) and friends and family (72%). Their influence appears particularly strong among “converters” – individuals who have recently made travel decisions based on social media content.

The data shows 29% of converters reference creator content during trip planning, compared to 17% of non-converters. Among those who consulted creator accounts, 72% report that the content influenced their travel decisions, surpassing the impact of friends and family (64%) and online travel agencies (67%).

Paid content demonstrates significant reach, with 43% of converters recalling specific influencer partnerships that affected their travel choices. However, the research notes that the memorability of collaborative content may stem from factors such as repeated exposure or multiple creators promoting the same brand rather than inherent effectiveness.

PhocusWire recently reported that travel companies were adopting creator-style strategies on social media platforms to build communities rather than accumulate followers.

The full Phocuswright study is available here.