Travel choices of Filipinos influenced by social media trends

According to a study by travel booking platform Klook, 89% of Filipinos select their travel destinations based on social media popularity, surpassing the regional average of 79%.

“We know that social media is a huge factor in really driving people to book their travel purchases,” Klook Philippines General Manager Michelle Ho said in a press briefing.

The 2025 Travel Pulse research, which has 7,000 respondents, showed that Filipinos use Facebook (84%) as their top source of information for travel inspiration, followed by YouTube (73%), TikTok (69%), and Instagram (63%).

The study added that quick travel content in the form of photos (67%) and short-form videos (62%) is the type of posts that attract most Filipinos. On the other hand, travelers use long-form videos (48%) and in-depth blog posts (45%) for deeper research on the destination and tours.

Ms. Ho noted that although TikTok is the third most popular application among travelers, Filipinos are two times more likely to engage with the platform’s videos. 

Klook also reported a 20% increase in Q1 2025 versus Q4 2024 on its Kreator-generated sales. 

Vietnam, for example, has experienced a 157% increase in revenue for tourism services and products made on Klook after content creators posted their travels. 

“Social media has played a huge role in elevating the popularity of Sapa,” Ms. Ho said.  “We’ve seen a triple-digit growth for Filipinos travelling to Vietnam these days.”

Apart from Vietnam, the study revealed that Taiwan and Thailand are also experiencing a rise in Filipino tourists, with 120% and 78% growth in 2024 versus 2023, respectively. 

For domestic travel, Ms. Ho shared that Manila remains the top destination for weekend getaways, while Tagaytay, Boracay, Cebu, and Bohol are popular destinations. 

Surigao and Siargao have also been gaining traction and popularity recently, the Klook executive said.

“What’s interesting is that you’ve got your core destinations, rising in terms of popularity, and at the same time, lesser-known destinations are being talked about,” Ms. Ho said.  

“And we’re actually paying close attention to that, because we feel that in the next few months, this could really rise in the tourism industry,” she added.

Source: Business World

Social media purchases are full of buyer’s remorse

Study: Nearly 75% admit to an ‘unnecessary’ buy

That love-hate relationship with social media extends to purchases, too.

In a new study by Wallethub, nearly 3 in 4 people have made an “unnecessary purchase” via social media.

Two out of 3 Americans believe social media is encouraging overspending.

And nearly 1 in 5 of those surveyed about their social media purchases categorized them as scams.

“Social media is such a key component to most people’s lives nowadays and it’s become such a powerhouse as far as online shopping and advertising goes,” Cassandra Happe, a Wallethub analyst said.

“We wanted to get a sense of how consumers are handling social media shopping and what their views are as far as whether it’s a worthwhile platform to use for shopping and if it’s really beneficial as far as how it impacts their finances,” she said, in explaining the study.

Here are some other findings from the survey:

• 46% of people said social media is a bad influence on their debt.

• Social media made 36% of the respondents say it made them feel frustrated about their own finances.

• Nearly 2 in 5 Americans are trying to falsely present a good financial image online when that’s not real.

• 63% of people said they regretted a purchase they’ve made via social media.

• 36% of respondents said they’d spend less if they deleted their social media apps.

The survey did not specifically ask consumers whether they were influenced in their purchases by their friends or posts they’ve seen from influencers, but Happe said 43% of respondents said they viewed a celebrity recommendation via social media as bad.

“People of any age and background are susceptible to getting caught up in social media consumerism, so it’s important to ask yourself whether you really need a given item you see on social media,” Happe said in a news release.

“Sleeping on a purchase before completing it is a wise move as well.” 

Source: USA Today