Facebook Groups are wild—the digital equivalent of your local community centre, complete with gossip, questionable advice, and someone selling essential oils.
All snark aside, Facebook Groups are still thriving spaces for travellers seeking recommendations, swapping stories, and occasionally having heated debates about pizza toppings. Depending on your target demographic, these spaces could be a better way to reach your customers than other social channels.
As with every channel, Facebook Groups have their own rules, norms, and best practices, and it helps to understand these things before you start posting and commenting.
Who actually hangs out in Facebook Groups?
With over three billion users, it’s hard to generalise. That said, there are some trends among Facebook group participants, and some of the stereotypes about who’s on there have a grain of truth.
Nostalgic Millennials – They’re here, still loyal to Facebook, sharing memes about turning 30 and debating whether avocado toast is worth bankruptcy. Many of them were early adopters back when being on Facebook was cool and almost underground.
Baby Boomers and Gen X – Reliable regulars who love thorough itinerary advice and posting slightly blurry holiday photos captioned “Rome, 2018. Lovely.” These are often the most engaged users. Many of them get their news from Facebook and use the platform for shopping and search queries.
Local enthusiasts – These groups attract passionate locals eager to correct tourists on pronunciation and provide insider tips (whether asked for or not). Many neighbourhoods and small towns use Facebook groups as a town square/ swap meet/ gossip forum.
Is Facebook dead yet?
Despite popular opinion, Facebook is far from dead—it’s just found a comfortable seat and isn’t moving anytime soon. Over 1.8 billion people still actively engage in Facebook Groups every month. So, no, it’s definitely not dead, just comfortably middle-aged.
Consider engaging with these types of Facebook groups:
City-specific travel groups (“London Tips & Advice”) – These groups are goldmines for local insights, and arguments over tube etiquette.
Niche travel groups (“Foodies Travelling Europe,” “Hiking Lovers Unite”) – Perfect for targeting specific interests and communities who won’t stop talking about their last meal or mountain conquest.
Expat and digital nomad groups – Great if your tours cater to long-term travellers who enjoy arguing about Wi-Fi speeds in cafes.
What actually works on Facebook Groups:
✅ Being genuinely helpful – Answer questions, even if they’re about something as thrilling as airport transfers.
✅ Sharing authentic stories – People love genuine, relatable tales. Bonus points if it involves a travel mishap they can laugh at.
✅ Humour – Light-hearted, self-aware posts get noticed. Example: “Yes, our tour is amazing. No, we won’t judge your selfie-stick addiction.” This can be a good way to highlight “downsides” of your tour that are actually upsides to your ideal customers.
What doesn’t work (and might get you roasted):
❌ Posting only promotional content – If every post you make looks like an ad, expect to be gently (or not-so-gently) mocked or banned. Try to give more than you ask.
❌ Ignoring group rules – Admins can be ruthless, and no one wants their virtual wrist slapped publicly. Many groups have rules you have to agree to before you can even join.
❌ Being overly formal – Nothing says “ignore me” faster than corporate jargon or overly polished copy. Post like you’re posting on Facebook not giving a sales pitch or initiating an email drip sequence.
A few funny (and true) examples of Facebook group fails:
- “Visit our tour site!!!” (posted in a group explicitly banning promotional content). Admin response: “Nice try, Greg. Enjoy your ban.”
- An overly enthusiastic operator who commented on every single post until members collectively asked, “Does anyone know how to mute someone IRL?”
- Posting the same message across multiple groups and forgetting to change the city name. (“Hello, fellow Paris lovers!”…in a Tokyo travel group).
Facebook groups aren’t glamorous, but they’re effective
Facebook Groups are dated but effective.. Be genuine, share generously, and embrace the quirks—your tour bookings (and your memes) will thank you.
Other communities to check out:
- Reddit – Perfect for quirky, honest travel conversations (and memes).
- Travel Massive – Professional, yet laid-back enough to swap war stories about nightmare clients.
- Discord – Perfect for younger travellers who somehow hate Facebook but love chatrooms.
- Local Guides Connect – A Google-run community buzzing with travellers who love leaving reviews, sharing photos, and swapping recommendations. Perfect if you want to charm travellers who practically live on Google Maps.
- Instagram & TikTok comments – Engage on popular posts to gently remind people your brand exists (just keep it classy).
- TripAdvisor forums – Still popular for direct Q&A and credibility-building. Just brace yourself for occasional cranky reviews.
- Couchsurfing groups – Excellent for authentic connections with adventure-driven, budget-conscious travellers.
- Meetup.com – Ideal for hosting local events and building offline community connections that boost brand loyalty.
- LinkedIn groups – Perfect for professional networking, particularly useful if you target corporate or business travel markets.
- Quora – Great for answering detailed travel-related questions, subtly positioning your expertise without sounding salesy.
- Your own community – Private WhatsApp groups or loyalty programmes to remind customers why they chose you (besides your dazzling personality).