Millennials when booking holidays think of Instagram photos above all other factors

Millennials are ruining vacations

The number one thing that millennials look for when they're booking holidays isn't cheap booze, interesting activities or cultural experiences.

According to travel site Expedia, the biggest priority for young people travelling abroad is how Instagrammable their destination is.

The research, which analysed what inspires millennials and Gen X to travel, found those aged 18-34 research just how good a location will look on their Instagram feed before clicking book, with two thirds saying the Instagrammability of a location is the most important factor when booking.

And it's men who are more likely to choose a vacation spot based on Instagrammability alone.

The results make sense considering the rise in social media influencers paid to travel to exotic places and post enviable pictures - and it looks like there is a reason they are paid so much to do it.

According to the results, these Instagram travel posts actually inspire one in four millennials to book vacations to these spots.

And if they do happen to go somewhere beautiful, you can assume they will be posting a picture - but not for the reason you may think.

Rather than uploading photos of beautiful beaches or ocean sunsets on social media as an outlet for virtual memories to fondly look back on, social media users are mostly posting their vacation snaps to incite envy among their friends and followers, according to the survey.

Instagrammability is now a huge factor in choosing a holiday destination

40 per cent of men surveyed, and 20 per cent of women, admitted that they would even go as far, or have, posted fake holiday photos to social media.

But it turns out even Instagram isn’t the same as real life - a fact that many vacationers found out post-vacation.

Don't visit Dubai just because you saw it on Instagram

According to Expedia, one in five millennials and Gen X-ers have been disappointed by a destination when comparing it to what they saw on Instagram - especially iconic landmarks.

Don't be surprised if your photo doesn't look like this

The top five letdowns according to the research? The Sydney Opera House, the Taj Mahal, Dubai, Stonehenge, and Times Square.

Times Square may turn out to be a let down

Perhaps it is time to start living, and stop Instagramming.