Galapagos Islands Ranked as Most “Instagrammable” Location in the World

A new study asked Britain's Instagram users to rank the most beautiful, disconnected locations in the world

They ranked the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador as “The Most Instagrammable Location” – and with only 43% of the population having internet access, it’s also one of the most disconnected destinations on the list.

One of the world’s most pristine and least-visited island groups in the world, Marovo Lagoon in the Solomon Islands, came in second place.

The Kiribati Islands scored 7.4 out of 10 for “Instagrammability”, putting them in fourth place. Located in Micronesia, straddling the equator, the islands have a small population of 117, 892. Desirably disconnected, mobile phone access here is mainly limited to the capital Tarawa, and telecommunications in Kiribati are among the most expensive in the Pacific.

The Blue Hole in Belize came in fifth place, followed by Arno Atoll in the Marshall Islands. Suriname, which boasts the Wonotobo Waterfall came in seventh place, whilst the Rock Islands of Palau, a collection of limestone and coral uprises came eighth.

Madagascar was also picked as one of the top 10 most beautiful but disconnected locations in the world, with the picturesque baobab trees in Morondava ranking in ninth place. Finally, in tenth place, is Tuvaluin the South Pacific, with all of the nine tiny islands deemed scenically stunning.

Appetite for off-beat travel locations is growing around the world, and so is the influence of social media on the destinations we choose.

According to a study published in the Tourism Management journal, “Social Return” (i.e. the amount of positive social feedback someone receives based on their social media posts, in this instance, posts concerned with travel) plays a significant part in how we choose our holiday destinations (i).

Findings reveal that two-fifths of millennials choose a travel spot based on its “Instagrammability” emphasising the influence of this social media on the holiday decisions of young adults.

Given how important “Instagrammability” is to Millennials when choosing a travel destination, it’s no surprise that this age group is the most generous when ranking for this criteria. 25-34-year olds gave a 7.42 “Instagrammability” rating overall for all destinations surveyed, compared to 6.88 among all age groups.

While “Instagrammability” is an important deciding factor in choosing holidays abroad, what we deem “Instagrammable” changes across the country. People in the South West say they’d most like to travel to a tropical location to capture the perfect Instagram picture. Among the most beautiful but disconnected locations featured, the French colonial city of Eritrea – Asmara was given the highest rating by people in London. Adults in Yorkshire and the South East were more likely to want to visit Paradise Harbour in Antarctica to get the perfect shot.

The survey was carried out by Carphone Warehouse. You can view their full travel guide here.

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