Source: Will Instagram let us shop for travel? | WTM Insights

Instagram Checkout, lets you buy products and services as you browse photo and videos on the instagram, without having to go to another website.

It now just for products suach as fashion, make-up and sporting goods. Its aimed at Brands such as Michael Kors, H&M, ColourPop, MAC and Nike. Right now its only available in the US. However it is clearly going to go beyond these borders.

Instagram recently tweaked that it will make it “easier to save items for later browsing in a personal Shopping collection”. It is also going to allow shoppers to buy item in videos. That makes it very appealing to travel marketers including hotels, tourism activities, destinations and agents.

The one hurdle is that vacations holiday are complex. Today its all about the experience and that requires a growing need for  personalisation. Right now the Instashop is focused on physical products and travel is far more demanding that that.

However, it is a step in the right direction and we shall have to wait and see how it unfolds. Instagram says  “We are continuing to test this feature and hope to expand availability to more accounts in the near future.”

Instagram shopping is of high interest to Travel Brands who are already seeing excellent engagement with photo and video on the platform.

EasyJet’s already experimenting with  Look&Book Instagram search capability and others are equally intrigued about the possibilities of and Instagam travel shopping.