How to use Instagram to plan your vacation

But when employed as a strategic research tool, Instagram, with its user-generated content and real-time images and video, can be a big help. Chelsea Martin, a luxury travel planner and the founder of the travel lifestyle brand Passport to Friday, says the platform often plays a role when she is researching for herself or clients. “To a degree, I’m using it as a vetting tool, to see what real travelers are experiencing,” Martin says. “It also serves as inspiration and a way to find and bookmark restaurants or hotels for later.”