Instagram: Here's Why I Use This Popular App for Travel Inspiration by Sheri B Doyle

Traveling around the world I have learned that it is important for me to see the tourist sights. But my preference is to find the out-of-the-way little towns and spend more of our time on the outskirts of the big cities. For me, the smaller towns, or less touristy ones, are where we find the true culture of a country, and usually some pretty incredible sights and experiences. Finding these out-of-the-way places isn’t easy when using guidebooks and big travel websites.

For this reason I have come to love Instagram travel photos. Instagram is very competitive for photographers, bloggers and world travelers. We are always trying to find the unique perspective, locations and experiences to share with our followers and gain more. Many people on Instagram make their livings by standing out, so they work very hard to set themselves apart. This is why I use Instagram as a major point of reference when planning our journeys around the world.

The best way is to search by hashtag or location and find photos with details about destinations, activities and experiences. There are individuals like me who travel the world recording all of our destinations, or photo groups who re-post pictures from various people all over the world, so the variety can be quite informative and interesting as well. 

If you aren’t on Instagram yet, jump in! It is a lot of fun. If you are, then try using Instagram to plan your next trip, whether to a nearby city or a new destination around the world.