Words by Katie Storrie
The one thing that excites me most about travelling is that it not only allows you to immerse yourself in new cultures and experiences, but also allows you to connect with people from across the world both online and in person.
I have always reached out to travel influencers and social media to gain insight into travel. The online community is incredibly empowering and it always helps me gain inspiration for upcoming trips. Being in a digital world where you can get advice and useful tips is something I am incredibly fond of. This online community helps me feel confident and reassured, it gives me motivation to pursue travelling more and it increases my sense of community.
Some of my favourite travel influencers include:
When I first came across Damon Dominique I instantly fell in love with his red wine talks. I find DamonÔÇÖs videos incredibly entertaining, in the way in which they document his solo travels around the world. ÔÇÖDamon’s videos are full of wit and charisma, which makes them even more enjoyable to watch
I have always been fond of Kara and NateÔÇÖs channel. I first discovered their channel when they were attempting to travel to 100 different countries and found that their videos are authentic and real. Since watching their videos my bucket list of countries to visit has only grown. I have been invested in their channel for a long time, and one of my favourite trips they took part in was when they went to Nepal and completed the Everest Base Camp Trek. This has inspired me to complete this one day myself.
Kara and Nate influenced me to visit Stockholm with their First Impressions of Stockholm video inspiring me to visit the Old Town.
Eva has been a huge inspiration to me. Due to her adventure and highly packed content, I feel inspired and motivated to solo travel myself. She sets herself challenges that seem nearly impossible, yet she is able to complete them successfully. Her videos are raw, they showcase the reality of solo travelling, from the ups to the downs which only makes her content more inspiring and relatable.
People from across the world are all brought together due to these travel influencers. We are all united in sharing the same passion of wanting to travel more, whilst gaining useful advice along the way.
Virtual communities are hugely beneficial for aspiring travellers, they will not fail to give you essential advice, ranging from health and safety, budgeting, as well as places to eat and visit. Due to the advice I have received over the years and will continue to receive has helped me gain the confidence to go solo travelling. I feel humbled that so many people want to share the same experiences as me, this is only due to virtual communities, they never fail to make you feel welcome.
I have also taken advantage of platforms such as TikTok, to help get tips and advice for upcoming trips. TikTok, as well as other social media, brings communities together of aspiring travellers. Personally, I think it gives aspiring travellers a more authentic guide to potential experiences, giving budget-friendly options as well as hidden gems. I have folders of my next trips and travel inspiration and I like to save them so I can refer back to them. In recent years TikTok has changed and impacted how I plan my own trips. I will now always use it as a platform to gain advice and inspiration.
Travelling only brings people together and this wonÔÇÖt be as successful without virtual communities. It connects people from across the world who all share the same experiences of wanting to travel more. The advice and reassurance of other travellers online is something I value immensely as without them I would not have the confidence to travel.
