Travelling differently: influencers' role on social networks

Written by Sophie Renassia

Published on December 15, 2024

Videos of trips to the ends of the earth, competitions to win plane tickets, partnerships and promotions on city trips on low-cost flights... Every day, this content floods the web and influences our choices. And yet, in this age of ecological urgency, influencers have a key role to play in inspiring new imaginations around travel (especially among a young audience, the first generation who will have to live sustainably with climate challenges). This is exactly what Céline, aka Iznogood, and César, aka César Culture G, did, sharing with their audience their incredible train journeys to Asia and the Arctic Circle respectively! What role do influencers play in shaping travel norms? Here's how.

Travel and ecology: the impact of content creators

The story of that influencer we like, the photo of that designer we've been following for years, the harmless little phrase from our favorite Youtuber... Whether we're aware of it or not, the content that scrolls across our screens largely influences our choices. Among the fields where this influence is decisive, there's (we'll give it to you) tourism:

• A third of French people say they are influenced by social networks when choosing their next travel destination (an influence that is all the more marked among young people: over 50% of 18-34 year-olds).
• 84 % of social network users consult the profiles of travel influencers before choosing their destination!

In this context, influencers have a real role to play in transforming our imaginations and making low-carbon travel more desirable. At a time of climate urgency, it's more necessary than ever to show that another way of traveling is possible (and enviable!). This is all the more true when you consider that a simple Paris-Barcelone round trip by plane emits on average 23 times more greenhouse gases than the same journey by train, and that CO2 emissions from the air transport sector have been rising steadily for 30 years...

For a better understanding of the ecological impact of air travel and the challenges it faces, take a look at the following articles:
- Decarbonization of air travel: when conventional wisdom goes out the windoxw
- Green aircraft: myth or reality? Aurélien Bigo's answer.
- Train VS plane : Jancovici tells us more

With great power comes great responsibility (even Uncle Parker said so), and more and more creators have realized that encouraging a large audience to take to the air is potentially generating thousands of extra tons of CO2 into the atmosphere. And thanks to them, new travel stories are timidly making their way into our news feeds, between ads for low-cost flights, games featuring 3-day city trips by plane and photos of “Instagrammable” destinations on the other side of the world...

The example of Céline (Iznogood): a round-the-world trip without a plane

Among these content creators is Céline, aka Iznogood on Instagram, who came to tell the story of her round-the-world trip without a plane in the latest episode of our podcast Je t'offre un rail?, produced with the support of SNCF Connect. With nearly 100 K followers on social networks, she has chosen to use her influence to promote ethical fashion and responsible consumption.

At Lisa's microphone, she shares the crazy project she undertook in 2019 with her partner David, after selling their house and saying goodbye to family and friends. “We set off with a simple backpack to cross the world without a plane, and with no return date,” she explains. An incredible adventure which, although thwarted by a certain global pandemic, left her with indelible memories.

“Plane-free travel has taught us to live with less, appreciate slowness and build more authentic relationships with people and places.”

This train journey, which she documented for her audience, took them through Europe, Russia, Southeast Asia (Laos, Thailand...), China (where they participated in farming and permaculture activities) or Mongolia (which they traveled by bike for five weeks). “We wanted each stage to have meaning and limit our footprint,” she says. On their unlikely encounters, she adds: “Every evening, in Mongolia, nomads would come and knock on our tent. It was an incredible experience of sharing despite the language barriers.”

Her top 3 craziest trains: the famous Trans-Siberian Railway (“for this completely crazy and timeless experience, this landscape that goes by and doesn't change for 4 days, and the encounters and discussions it allows”), a night train in Mongolia ("as it's very uncomfortable, nobody sleeps and it allowed us to make a very beautiful encounter: a young Mongolian who was studying at university. “) and the Bangkok-Shangai night train (“the best we've ever done: you watch the scenery go by and you're quiet in your own little capsule, curtain drawn”).

For her, traveling without a plane is not just an ecological choice: “Traveling slowly means accepting that the journey is just as important as the destination.” She now dreams of a bike trip to Greece, a train journey to Turkey and a transatlantic crossing to discover the American continent.

Paving the way: influencers transforming our imaginations

Among those sharing their low-carbon journeys are influencers such as Victoria Guillomon (aka “Nouvel Œil”), who got behind the microphone to tell us about her plan to travel by train to India with Johan Reboul (aka “Le Jeune Engagé”, who also regularly highlights his rail journeys), or Arthur Aubœuf (co-founder of Team for the Planet, very active on Linkedin), who told us about his train journey to Budapest.

But what about other influencers, beyond the eco-sphere? Those whose usual editorial line doesn't revolve around ecology, and whose audience isn't necessarily sensitive to these issues? Well, here too, some are setting an example by publicly sharing a different way of traveling, as in the case of César, alias “César Culture G” on social networks - followed by over a million people on Instagram - who travelled to the North Cape (Polar Circle) by train! Benjamin tells us all about his incredible journey:

For him, “traveling by train remains an economic privilege, but it's both an enriching and transformative experience.” The content documenting this journey has also broken viewing records, proof that the subject is of interest to a wide audience.

“Obviously, we have a role to play when we have thousands of people following us (...) What's great is that we can inspire thousands of people to think differently, to act differently, by sharing our experience.”

We should also mention McFly and Carlito, YouTube's leading figures in France with their 7 million subscribers, who invited Jean-Marc Jancovici on two occasions to discuss climate solutions and explain how to calculate one's carbon footprint. Or model and influencer Charlotte Lemay (aka “Chamellow” on Instagram), who prefered to cross Europe by train rather than travel by plane.

Towards responsible influence: setting new standards?

Social networks have a unique ability to shape trends and modulate social norms. Proof of this is the flygskam (shame of flying) trend that has emerged in Sweden. Showing a breathtaking train journey through the Alps, slow-trips in Europe or a journey by train to see the Northern Lights in Abisko, also shows that another form of travel is possible. It's about telling our algorithms that this content resonates and, ultimately, redesigning the codes of travel.

As our founder Benjamin points out in the podcast episode with César Culture G: “the aim is not at all to encourage people to stop traveling - let's keep traveling and kiffer! - but to encourage us to do so in a different way.” In fact, this is the approach he himself took 4 years ago as a travel influencer (@Globetolter), when he decided to stop air travel to align himself with his ecological convictions.

And even if the impact of these initiatives remains marginal compared to the weight of the tourism industry, it's a hopeful signal. So, while we wait for the biggest influencers to join our ranks and make slow travel “the new cool”: what if, as an audience, we got into the habit of highlighting the creators who are leading the way?

To make sure you don't miss a single episode and to get all the inspiration you need from our guests, don't hesitate to suscribe to the podcast on your favorite listening platforms. Thanks to our partner SNCF Connect, the reference application for trains and sustainable mobility, which accompanies over 15 million users on their journeys in France and Europe.