Brave Bison - Social media is ruining Londoners’ holidays - nearly 6 in 10 admit to faking their social

2025-09-15

How many of the social media posts we’ve seen this summer are real? 

 According to a new survey of 2,000 travellers from Icelandair, Iceland’s flagship airline, nearly a third of UK travel posts are fake or exaggerated, with Londoners following the ‘fakecation ‘ trend more than any other Brits.

People from this city are clearly under more pressure to paint a better picture of their holidays, as nearly 6 in 10 Londoners (57%) admitted they lie or exaggerate their trips on social media -nearly double the UK’s average of 29%!

All for a like: One in five Londoners post fake travel photos

• 24% exaggerate how much fun they are having (UK average: 11%)

• 20% only post the most flattering moments (UK average: 14%)

• 20% admit to uploading photos that aren’t theirs (UK average: 7%)

• 18% stage photos to make a trip look more exciting (UK average: 7%)

The pressure to have, and then show, a good time on social media is being exacerbated by the rise in people using these platforms to select their travel destinations, which is the case for nearly 4 in 10 (38%) Londoners, according to Icelandair’s survey. 

57% of Londoners believe social media ruined their holiday

The pursuit of a ‘dream holiday’ is taking its toll. Almost 6 in 10 Londoners (57%) believe social media negatively impacted their trip, while one in five (20%) were disappointed when their destination didn’t live up to the images they’d seen online.

Not everyone can simply rebook and jet off somewhere else — unlike influencer Zoe Hague, who famously swapped Bali for Dubai after finding Bali didn’t look as good as it did on Instagram. Most Londoners stay put, often feeling short-changed on their well-deserved time off.

Further frustrations include:

• 24% say they don’t enjoy the perfect moment because they’re too busy trying to capture it

• 20% feel social media distracts them from spending time with companions

• 10% feel their holiday simply wasn’t good enough to share online

Call for a digital detox and authenticity

Vacation, like its Oxford Dictionary definition says, is “resting from home.” And as people are physically away from home, they are virtually still there and aware that social media is running their holiday — as 42% of Londoners say.

Going to unfiltered, authentic places could be just the deal for them. Icelandair’s campaign ‘This is not AI’ campaign highlights how genuine photography of Iceland’s landscapes was mistakenly thought to be artificially created — underscoring just how surreal and perfect the country’s natural beauty is.

Bogi Nils Bogason, CEO of Icelandair, said:

“We believe real experiences, captured by photographers and locals, resonate more with travelers and help set accurate expectations compared to something that has been created by AI. While artificial intelligence has its place in tourism, maintaining the human element is crucial. Nothing can beat the real thing.”

He added:

“Authenticity and transparency are fundamental elements of our culture, and our aim is to lead the way in showcasing Iceland’s real, authentic beauty — helping travellers make informed and confident decisions.”

Photo : Unsplash - Lindsey Franzke