2023-08-21 12:04:49
« Yo les globetolters ! » It is with this somewhat cryptic interjection that the youtuber Tolt greets his audience at the start of each video. This is followed by a quarter of an hour of 100% photogenic peregrinations by this friendly thirty-year-old with a blond mustache.
In Lozère, he sets off on a zip line between two cliffs. In Corsica, he meets producers of wine, oil, cheese, while devoting advantageous close-ups to their products. On the night train to Vienna, he marvels at not touching the end of the bed despite his 1.90 m, phone in hand, all smiles in his bunk.
His innumerable travels, Charge – who has not flown for three years – also offers them in shorter formats on TikTok and Instagram. “Almost every week we have videos that will perform less wellhe says. So we publish on different networks to minimize the risks. » Some of his escapades still accumulate a million views, all media combined.
Sell dreams and good tips
Assisted by work-study trainees, trainees, passed by Canal+ and equipped with quality equipment, Tolt is a professional travel influencer. If half of its income came, until 2019, from airlines, it has since replaced these collaborations with partnerships with local tourism committees, train price comparators… ” And also video equipment brandshe adds. They provide me with equipment, which is a form of remuneration. » In exchange, companies and institutions benefit from the visibility offered by this influencer to the 49,000 subscribers.
With their bright colors and their many followers, social networks, Instagram in the lead, lend themselves perfectly to tourism promotion. “Travel has always been in the top 3 or 4 of the most popular themes on these networks, along with food, humor and beauty”, explains Bastien Tardy, of the Reech agency, which publishes an annual study on influence marketing. “We follow these accounts to dream, of course, but also to be inspired. TikTok, in particular, is increasingly used to search for destination ideas. »
Having stayed in Noisy-le-Grand (Seine-Saint-Denis) all summer, Krishika, who has just obtained her STMG baccalaureate, virtually propels herself to Los Angeles or Amsterdam via her mobile phone.
Among other things, she follows the “milesvoyages” account on TikTok, which these days makes her want to go to Nice by bus. “Apparently it’s not expensive at all!” It’s great, this account, the girl gives lots of tips for traveling on a small budget. »
From experts to peers
“In terms of influence, the authority of experts (guides, tourist offices, etc.) has been replaced by those who present themselves as peers”, explains tourism sociologist Saskia Cousin. Their advice, delivered with the familiarity of a friend, is received “like word-of-mouth, not the relay of advertisements that they really are”.
Nearly one in two publications (46%) are sponsored, in other words, there to sell something. This is one of the conclusions of the study conducted between summer 2022 and summer 2023 by Garance Bazin, doctoral student under the supervision of Saskia Cousin, who examined the content of the 20 most followed French travel influencers. More than half presented clearly promotional posts without this being explicitly stated in the description. However, this is a legal obligation, recalled by the law on influencers adopted by Parliament on June 9.
Drawing their legitimacy from the fact that they are located outside traditional institutions, these influencers do not adopt the same vocabulary or the same positioning.. “We do not expect them to know the territory, but the assurance of a successful experience”, explains Saskia Cousin. Success that goes through the beauty of the images, shelled over the course of the stay in the hope of collecting the most likes.
An aesthetic shaped by the algorithm
However, from tourist brochures to Instagram stories, the clichés of the genre are more or less the same. “What works on Insta is the breathtaking panorama with the small silhouette lost in the middle”, explains Aurélie Amiot, photographer and travel influencer for a decade, on various networks and her blog Mrs Ear. “Publish portraits of inhabitants, on the other hand, is sure to fail”, she adds.
“Originally, the aesthetics of Instagram wanted to stand out from the world of advertising, promoting original angles and creative content”, explains art critic Marion Zilio. But that was without counting on the “backlash” of its recommendation algorithm, which seems to push content with saturated colors more. “Anything that goes against the light (shadows, chiaroscuros) suffers from prejudice… and is discarded by the algorithm, for which these images are less readable”, analyzes the specialist, who teaches philosophy at the Beaux-Arts.
Staging the trip
In addition to the brightness of the images, the singularity of the staging is important. In Madeira (Portugal), where Aurélie Amiot was in July (“for family vacations, not to publish on the networks”she specifies), the photographer witnessed typically “Instagramesque” scenes. “Half an hour ago a couple went down to the beach with beautiful wooden chairs: they took pictures and did nothing elseshe told by telephone to The cross. And the other day, I saw a father ask his daughter to jump into a natural waterfall to photograph her. She could have hurt herself! »
Tourism: should we restrict access to natural areas?
So many episodes that confirm Aurélie Amiot in her choice: the influence travels, for her, it’s over. In September, the photographer will make her first comeback as a teacher. “I am uncomfortable with the behaviors that social networks encourage us to adopt when travelling. To seek the buzz, we convey images that sometimes have little to do with reality, and can make those who would like to imitate us take risks. »
The damage of overcrowding
Not to mention the overcrowding, which has paid the price for certain sites praised by popular Internet users. An Icelandic canyon but also natural springs in the Var have been closed to the public in recent years, because the sudden influx of tourists had threatened the balance of their ecosystems.
“Mobility is a powerful machine for manufacturing desires”, analyzes Vincent Coëffé, lecturer in geography at the University of Angers. “By posing as the equal of those who follow him on the networks, the influencer can generate frustration. Because, often, these supposed equals are not equal: not everyone has sufficient spatial and cultural capital to satisfy the desire for mobility aroused by this type of image. »
Finally, what about those who, like the jovial Tolt, have given up on distant destinations for ecological reasons? “It is still very marginalsays sociologist Saskia Cousin. Because obviously, it’s more the airline industry and the resorts (hotel complexes, Editor’s note) who fund luxury travel and sponsored posts. »
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A law to regulate influencers
Voted unanimously on June 9, 2023, the law “aimed at controlling commercial influence and combating abuse by influencers on social networks” seeks to regulate a young sector.
The 150,000 content creators and the agencies that represent them are assigned a legal definition. They are thus concerned by the consumer and commercial codes.
Influencers must report the use of filters which make their images more attractive and must display the mention “advertising” or “commercial collaboration” during the entire promotion.
Surveillance is reinforced. Fifteen fraud enforcement officers are now tasked with monitoring social media and responding to reports.
The penalties provided go up to two years in prison and a €300,000 fine.
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