Video Ate Everything
In 2021, 70% of our deliverables were still photography. In 2023, that flipped. 75% of what brands request is now video. Short-form vertical video specifically. The Instagram Reels algorithm rewards video so heavily that even brands who built their identity on photography (Aman, Rosewood) are shifting budgets toward motion content.
The practical impact: every shoot now needs to be planned for video first, stills second. That changes gear choices, crew composition and shooting schedules. A photographer who adds video is not the same as a video team that also delivers stills. The production approach is fundamentally different.
Budgets Are Shifting, Not Shrinking
Total content spend in travel and hospitality grew roughly 15% in 2023 based on what we saw across our client base. But the distribution changed. Traditional advertising budgets shrank by 20-30%. Social and creator content budgets grew by 40-60%. The net result: more money going to fewer, more effective channels.
The brands spending the most on creator content in travel right now: Marriott, Hilton, Four Seasons, Aman and Emirates. Each of these is running ongoing creator programs, not one-off sponsorships.
The Platform Landscape
Instagram remains the primary platform for luxury travel content. But TikTok is where the growth is. We saw 3x higher reach on TikTok versus Instagram Reels for identical content posted to both platforms. The audience skews younger on TikTok but the purchase intent is surprisingly high .. TikTok users book travel impulsively.
YouTube Shorts is the sleeper. Low competition. High discovery. We posted 12 travel Shorts for a hotel client that averaged 200K views each. The same content on Instagram Reels averaged 40K. YouTube Shorts in 2024 is what Instagram Reels was in 2021.
What Brands Should Prioritize
Build a content library, not a campaign. The campaign model (big shoot, 3 months of content, repeat) is being replaced by always-on production. Small shoots every 6-8 weeks. Fresh content monthly. The algorithm rewards consistency over spectacle.
Invest in creator partnerships, not influencer posts. The difference matters. An influencer posts once and moves on. A creator partner produces ongoing content that builds a visual identity over time. Our longest client relationship is 4 years with DJI. That continuity shows in the quality and performance of every piece we produce.
Looking Ahead
2024 will be the year that mid-tier hotel brands (Hyatt, IHG, Accor) follow the playbook that luxury brands established in 2022-2023. Creator-led content at scale. Vertical video as default format. Platform-native content over repurposed TV spots. The brands that move first will capture audience attention before the space gets crowded.