Travel motivations and patterns among participants were deeply influenced by family dynamics, work schedules, income, and personal interests—all of which shaped how travelers sought out meaningful and culturally rich experiences.

For families, travel was often both bonding time and a form of cultural learning. Alex described combining leisure with education on Disney cruises, while Jordan valued uninterrupted family time. These examples highlight how family travel is often designed around shared, enriching experiences, answering RQ3a by showing that travelers intentionally seek culturally immersive activities beyond tourist stereotypes.

Professional obligations also shaped travel frequency and flexibility. Sean often extended business trips for personal exploration, while Samantha’s limited vacation time made each trip more intentional and creative. This informs RQ1, showing how media and content are used strategically to plan authentic experiences within time constraints.

Income level subtly influenced travel choices. Morgan’s packed-yet-flexible itineraries and Alex’s preference for Disney cruises suggested financial comfort, supporting RQ3a by indicating that higher-income travelers often prioritize culturally engaging destinations perceived as worth the investment (Rojas-Méndez & Davies, 2024).

Personal interests were another strong motivator. Taylor planned trips around concerts and art, while Samantha sought sensory and creative immersion. These preferences reinforced RQ1, revealing that travelers turn to content aligned with their passions, not just promotional materials—supporting Murti et al.’s (2023) view of tourism as soft power and self-development.

Overall, participants described travel as a way to reset, gain perspective, and engage with other ways of life. Their motivations reflected a desire for authenticity, growth, and cultural connection. These findings suggest that tourists increasingly reject surface-level marketing in favor of narratives that align with their values, offering important feedback to destination marketers and directly answering RQ3a and RQ1.

Digital media played a central role in participants’ travel planning, with social media serving as both inspiration and a point of scrutiny. This directly addresses RQ1 and RQ2, illustrating how travelers increasingly favor user-generated content while remaining wary of overly curated imagery.

Platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, TripAdvisor, and Expedia were commonly cited. Participants used them not only for aesthetic inspiration but also to verify logistics—demonstrating a layered, strategic approach to media consumption. Morgan noted using TikTok and Instagram for fun, while finding Facebook more practical: “My guilty pleasure is TikTok... but I find Facebook to be very helpful.” This supports Ait Hattani & Khoumssi’s (2020) findings that practical content often outweighs aesthetic appeal.

Participants like Sean and Morgan also described cross-referencing booking sites with social media to assess authenticity and user experience. This triangulation reflects a high level of media literacy and reinforces how real-time, participatory platforms shape both perception and decision-making in contemporary travel.

Online reviews and forums emerged as essential tools in participants’ travel planning, offering authenticity and peer-to-peer insight often absent from traditional tourism advertising. Platforms like Yelp, TripAdvisor, Google Reviews, Expedia, and KAYAK were frequently used to evaluate accommodations, dining, and activities. Morgan valued Yelp for its visual cues: “Just going looking at the photos of the food... I could see myself eating something like that.” Samantha also examined how businesses responded to criticism, finding it revealing of overall service quality.

Despite occasional skepticism about biased reviews—as Taylor joked, “You’re seriously gonna give me one [star] because we ran out of toilet paper?”—participants generally viewed reviews as more transparent than branded content. This aligns with Expedia Group (2024), which highlights the growing influence of user feedback in shaping consumer trust.

Online forums like Facebook groups, Reddit, and TripAdvisor discussion boards were equally trusted. Participants appreciated the real-time, personalized advice from like-minded travelers. Sean noted the value of recurring contributors on TripAdvisor: “You start to recognize names... I’m more likely to rely on Joe’s reviews than a name I don’t recognize.” Taylor and Morgan also emphasized the utility of Facebook and Reddit for niche topics, from packing tips to accessibility concerns.

These platforms offered dynamic, user-driven content that allowed travelers to feel informed and empowered—supporting Murti et al. (2023)’s claim that modern travel branding must embrace participatory media to remain credible.

Participants expressed a critical awareness of how tourism media often relies on cultural stereotypes to attract Western tourists—directly addressing RQ3a and RQ3b. Many felt that pre-travel content did not accurately reflect the realities of the destination. Stereotypes—whether romanticized landscapes or reductive portrayals of local customs—were seen as misleading and ethically problematic.

Jane critiqued India's portrayal as either extreme wealth or poverty: “It would be insulting if you wanted to visit to see the beggar on the street... tourism makes things look artistic.” Samantha noted that while some Italian stereotypes have truth, they “aren’t the whole story,” emphasizing how selective representations obscure cultural depth.

Beyond discomfort, participants pointed to how stereotypes perpetuate inequality. Taylor expressed unease with the commodification of Middle Eastern religious traditions, while Sean observed Western tourists condescending to locals in Africa—examples supported by Onyenekwu et al. (2017), who found tourism materials often exoticize or infantilize locals.

Morgan offered an indirect critique, recalling that ATVs were introduced in Aruba solely for tourists, despite local disapproval: “Locals don’t use them and don’t like them.” This reflects how destinations are reshaped to match stereotypical expectations, echoing Stone & Nyaupane (2020), who found that Western-facing ads in Botswana erased local presence in favor of generic thrills.

Ultimately, participants called for more authentic, nuanced narratives. Alex stated, “I want to see it all,” and Samantha emphasized her interest in local Irish music over iconic landmarks. These responses show a growing rejection of sanitized portrayals in favor of ethical, culturally engaged storytelling—highlighting a shift in tourist expectations shaped by greater media literacy.