Our latest influencer data reveals the Canary Islands as the leading winter sun destination, driven by prominent figures like Emma Jane, Ben Hanlin, and Catherine Tyldesley. The UAE remains a popular choice despite a 31% drop in mentions, while Cyprus has surged to 12th place, boosted by Conde Nast Traveller and influencer Elyshia Hockney’s TikTok. Luxury hotel brands such as Four Seasons, Jumeirah Group, and Shangri-La also made headlines, with Vogue’s post about Four Seasons Tamarindo achieving significant media value. Jenny Tsai of WeArisma emphasizes the impact of influencers on travel trends. Read more here!
Published On: February 23, 2024
Canary Islands Crowned Top Winter Destination as Influencers Drive Popularity
Our influencer data and analytics has identified the Canary Islands as the go-to winter destination. Influential sources, Emma Jane, Ben Hanlin, and Catherine Tyldesley, are among those who have made it the most talked about winter sun destination.
Our analysis shows that the UAE and the Caribbean Islands are also popular choices for winter getaways. The UAE maintained its position in second place, despite a 31% decrease in social media mentions compared to last year.
Cyprus has seen a significant rise in popularity, moving up to 12th spot from 22nd last season. Publication, Conde Nast Traveller, highlighted Cyprus’s year-round appeal. While influencer Elyshia Hockney’s TikTok video from her Paphos trip added to Cyprus’s success in this winter’s rankings.
Luxury hotel brands like the Four Seasons, Jumeirah Group, and Shangri-La have been highly talked about. Vogue’s Facebook post about the Four Seasons Tamarindo in Mexico, in December generated a media value of $413,300, placing the brand at the top.
Jenny Tsai, founder and CEO of WeArisma, highlights the influence of celebrities and influencers in driving destination popularity. She notes that recommendations from influential figures have a considerable influence on the popularity of destinations, and the travel sector is leveraging this across different platforms.
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The top 100 media and entertainment brands across video streaming, audio streaming, and content creation generated $63.4B in total Earned Media Value in 2025, up +7.0% YoY. Growth is uneven across sub-sectors, video streaming surged while audio streaming declined sharply, platform dynamics are shifting fast, and a handful of breakout brands are rewriting what influence looks like in entertainment.
TikTok grew +70.2% YoY and is rapidly closing the gap on YouTube as the dominant entertainment influence platform. YouTube remains #1 at $32.6B but declined -11.3%, while Instagram grew +4.4% to $13.3B. Facebook nearly doubled to $7.3B (+98.9%), making media and entertainment one of the few categories where four platforms are genuinely competing for share.
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