TravTalk India Online Magazine
If you thought social media influencers and celebrities only reigned the B2C realm, you may have been living under a rock. They are fast spreading their influence even in the B2B world. Today, even the trade is tapping their undeniable power.
Hazel Jain
There is a quiet revolution happening in destination marketing – and it’s powered by micro-influencers. When you work with creators who have 5K–50K truly engaged followers, you tap into tight-knit communities that care about the content they see. Those smaller audiences trust recommendations more, leading to deeper engagement and higher conversion rates for niche destinations. Micro-influencers live like local travellers, uncovering hidden gems and sharing genuine experiences. Their posts don’t feel like ads; they feel like personal invitations.
Of course, big-name influencers come with big-name price tags! But they offer a smarter ROI: lower cost per campaign, more targeted audiences, and content that is highly sharable within specific travel niches. For destinations working with tight budgets, that makes all the difference.
For OA Globe DMC, partnering with micro influencers has transformed how they showcase destinations. Vishal Somaiya, Director & Group CEO, OA Globe DMC, says, “Their authentic voice and niche followings drive meaningful engagement—far beyond traditional campaigns. We have embraced influencer partnerships to bring our destinations to life. We are proud to have renowned dancer and content creator Shakti Mohan as our brand ambassador. We have also collaborated with Curly Tales by Kamiya Jani as well as Krishna Jackie Shroff to spotlight our key regions.”
Agents as influencers
Travel agents, in many ways, are influencers themselves and often drive bookings through their social media and their authentic storytelling. Sheetal Munshaw, Director (India), Atout France, says “The contemporary travel agent has now taken steps in this direction. For France, we have seen agents invited for our workshops/ Fam trips, whether in India or France, actively publish content about their experiences on their social media networks creating awareness about the destination and activities.”
Celebrities endorse
The up-and-coming travel company PickYourTrail has been using social media to its fullest. It often engages with micro-influencers to showcase destinations and experiences they sell, but it recently switched up the game to have the young actor Ishaan Khatter endorse a destination (Singapore) as a great family destination when he took his mother on a holiday on Mother’s Day. Hari Ganapathy, Co-Founder, PickYourTrail, confirms, “Yes, we have collaborated with micro-influencers across sectors like lifestyle, travel and wellness, and we have seen first-hand the power of niche influence in driving awareness and building new reach.”
Alefiya Singh, Founder, IRIS Reps, says, “Micro influencers are like trusted friends in the B2B travel world. For years, we have teamed up with everyone from emerging voices like Kishwer Merchant and Surbhi Jyoti to stars like Neha Dhupia and Bipasha Basu. Their content is not just promotional—it’s personal. They bring to life everything from boutique villa stays to curated travel moments. Just recently, we hosted Vidya Balan for a soulful escape at Meraki, Goa by Tisya Stays and Kishwer Merchant at the beautiful Casa 2565 Villa, also in Goa. The traction and trust these moments generate are invaluable.”
Even GSAs like Aeroprime Group have used influencers. Abhishek Goyal, CEO & Executive Director, Aeroprime Group, shares, “We have already seen the impact of micro-influencers who were on a Fam trip to Vietnam while promoting Vietnam and its subsequent impact on the market. Even travel agents can be considered as ‘influencers’.” But there are some like Gagan Chadha, Owner, Travel2agent Oneworld, who don’t think influencers can be friends of the B2B travel channel. “The influence of macro and micro influencers remains limited in the B2B travel space,” Chada says.
