Member Spotlight – Marek Bron of Indie Traveller Ranks Instagram Travel Influencers

Marek Bron from Lisbon Travel Massive has been blogging about budget and adventure travel at Indie Traveller since 2012. He also wrote Travel the World Without Worries – a guide to helping new travellers eliminate their worries and fears before travelling to parts unknown. 

Mark recently launched the Top 100 Instagram Travel Influencers to rank which influencers truly have the largest influence.

How did you get into travel?

I got into travel by way of my previous career as a video game designer. One of the perks of that job was that it took me on business trips to many faraway places like Japan, and I’d often tack on a mini-holiday.

I eventually went through a layoff and thought I’d take a 2-month sabbatical to Thailand. Instead, I travelled the world for 2 years. I’ve been hooked since.

What tourism problem are you solving?

As marketers are no doubt aware, it can be easy for influencers to artificially boost their follower numbers on social media. So who is truly having the biggest impact?

That’s why I launched a Top 100 of Instagram Travel Influencers which algorithmically ranks accounts based on a range of engagement metrics. The list showcases all of the best travel photography from accounts with genuine reach.

How are you creating a positive future for travel?

I hope that as a blogger—even in a very small way—I can help educate new travellers and inspire them to try destinations they may not have considered before.

I sometimes worry about the effects of mass tourism, but I also believe that if more people travel independently (or just with a more open-minded attitude) it can lead to more balance and have a positive impact.

How can the Travel Massive community help you?

If there are Instagrammers I should add to my tracker, I’d love to know! It has a database of several hundred, but I may have still missed a few.

I also love to hear from offbeat destinations or agencies who wish to get the word out about something that isn’t yet on the radar. I believe bloggers can play a huge role in giving more credibility to as yet unfamiliar places.

Where do you seek advice? Who’s your hero?

This answer won’t be a surprise but I admire many travel bloggers who have been doing this for a long time. Nomadic Matt and Expert Vagabond are two blogs I read religiously. I think some travellers can start sounding jaded after a few years, but some manage to keep an open mind and fresh perspective, which I find highly inspiring.

Follow Marek Bron on Travel Massive to connect with them and learn more.