"Let Travelers Travel" and enable these same tourists to share their experiences as easily as possible in the social spaces they live in online. Here's eight trends I have identified that will be shaping tourism and effecting Tourism touchpoints.

1. 8 Social Media Trends
That Are Changing Tourism

2. Trend #1
Smart Phone Apps
“There’s an app for that!”
Apple’s game changer,
“smartphone” application
marketplace (Open SDK)
Context is now king
Enables users to share deep
content via Social Networks
regardless of location.

3. Trend #2
Foursquare
LBS Mobile Game
User connect via locations
with “check-ins” at venues to
earn points/social-cpaital
Opportunties for small
businesses to connect with
Loyal Customers known as
“Mayors” and create unique
timely offerings

4. Trend #3
Geo Mashups
Customizable User generated
maps such as GoogleMaps API
Socially Transportable to
Blogs / Social Webspaces
Inline contextual media:
images, video, reviews, etc.
Guys love this, now they don’t
ever have to ask for
directions ;)

5. Trend #4
Micro-Blogs
Top Growth SNS - Twitter
+ 2nd tier FriendFeed
“Email Killer” Users Sharing
brief ideas 140 characters at a
time with “Friends”
Users: Professionals, Age 25+,
becoming a model for Open
Business

6. Trend #5
Mobile Video
iPod Nano + iPhone 3Gs
video enabled devices remove
price boundaries for UGC
Business should expect more
video reviews of products &
services
Business need to become
part of the conversation and
embrace video as touchpoint

7. Trend #6
Photo-Sharing
Networks
Standard in the Social Media
diet of people and the HQ for
brands’ images
Travel Experience Extensions:
geo-tags, slideshows-sharing
Photo Tribes: User generated The original Crasher Squirrel photo was taken by Melissa and Jackson Brandts in Banff
Groups

8. Trend #7
CouchSurfing.com- Travel Exchange
Online Social/Cultural worldwide network, enables
low-cost travel exchanges with trustworthy Hosts.

9. Trend #8
Yelp - Customer
Generated Reviews
Social Tool like TripAdvizor
becoming more widely used
Strong Reach due to trusted
customer generated reviews
of a wider variety of products
and services

10. Thank You
Continue the conversation via twitter:
@MMagnus ( #socialmedia #tourism )
www.twitter.com/Mmagnus