5 Travel Brands Winning on Social Media for the Week Ending August 15, 2014

In the past two weeks, airlines dominated social media with content and contests, but this week, Bookings and Tools, Destinations, and Media made it back into the list of top performers.

Each Friday, we call out travel brands that have stronger than usual activity on social media. Using SkiftIQ, we’re able to track current performance versus past (60-day averages, unless otherwise noted) as well as notice spikes in activity that demonstrate a brand either has a viral hit on its hands, or a public relations mess to clean up.

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The latest social activity on SkiftIQ for the week ending August 15, 2014:

1. Lonely Planet on Twitter

Although the gains for this brand only happened for one day, it beat the rest of brands in terms of multi-day notable activity. On August 14, Lonely Planet hosted an eight question live chat that dives into which city -- London or New York City -- has the best to offer. This travel media's Twitter Status jumped by 165%, pushing its account from 20 Tweets/Day to 53 Tweets/Day.

2. British Airways on Twitter

For the past three weeks, British Airways has been part of the weekly winners for its effort on Instagram and Twitter. This past week, bad weather in South East England and a backlog in its customer service department increased the momentum of distress and complaints. Amidst all this, positive reaction to its great customer relations and September furry inflight entertainment also contributed to the chatter. Its average Tweets/Day is at 220, on August 13 and 14, it increased by 77.5% to 390. In addition, its gained 368 more Twitter Followers from its 1,045 Followers/Day Average.

3. Tourism and Event Queensland on Instagram

Although the notable activity for Tourism and Events Queensland only took place on one day, it was more noteworthy than the fourth and fifth brand featured this week. On August 13, it posted three stunning photos of its territory and led up to an invitation to an Instameet in the lush flora-scape of Tondoon Botanic Gardens, Gladstone. It's Instagram fans grew by 73%, a total of 270 more Followers from its 368 Followers/Day Average.

4. Virgin America on Instagram

On August 8, Virgin America turned seven. It announced its birthday on Instagram with a vivid photograph of its stewardess holding a brightly decorated cake. This eye candy attracted 52 more Followers, raising its 74 Followers/Day Average by 66% to 130 Followers/Day.

5. Airbnb on Facebook

A month ago, Airbnb made it to the weekly winners roundup, with its new campaign. Its subtle ode to Shark Week on August 14 made a Facebook splash and brought it back to the Top 5. The featured property located in Philippines was advertised with a series of photos and a call-to-action, "Swim with the Whale Sharks."

Learn More on SkiftIQ