An online sensation, with one of the most followed travel accounts on Instagram, Jeremy Jauncey, believes that social media is a "great" platform to educate and inspire travellers, particularly with the aid of visual storytelling.
"The most important thing is to educate travelers and make them aware of the destinations that exist. Social media is an amazing platform to raise awareness.
"Studies show that one out of every five minutes on a mobile device is spent on Facebook or Instagram. The power of visual storytelling for travel inspiration is priceless," says Jauncey, who is the CEO of 'Beautiful Destinations', an online travel portal.
According to him, it is no longer adequate to post a picture or a video alone, and insisted that travelers must have a story to tell, to indicate why a place is a potential tourist destination.
Locations must be showcased in perspectives that are new and engaging and will resonate with a mobile audience, he said.
"Travelers don't only want to see just beautiful imagery and videos anymore. They also want to hear authentic stories behind the photos or videos. Famous places should be captured in a way that hasn't been done before.
"Heights, angles, composition, color, props and subjects should all be considered. For example, if you're looking to promote Amer Fort, find an interesting perspective of one of the rooms to capture with an engaging story you can share with followers," Jauncey told PTI.
The globetrotter and his team, who were in the country recently, have partnered with ITC hotels to photograph India in its myriad shades, and visited the Golden Triangle - Agra, Jaipur and Delhi.
According to Jauncey, it is India's diverse cultural
heritage that draws visitors from across the globe, and recommended that "everyone must come to India at least once."
He said that while the Taj Mahal continues to remain one of the iconic symbols that any foreigner would associate with India, the country has much more to offer than just the 'Monument of Love'.
Their most favourite shots included photographing the Taj Mahal at sunrise and capturing the entire pink city from the top of Nahargarh Fort.
"At sunset we went to the top of the Fort. It was incredible to take pictures of the city from there because the sunset was electric pink and orange. People here would have seen it million times but we haven't seen such a beautiful sunset ever with the majestic old architecture around," the 31-year-old traveler said.
From the Capital, they have taken back aerial images of the famed spice market of Old Delhi.
"In Delhi, we wanted to tell the story of the city from the rooftops. So, Delhi 6 was the perfect place for that. Spice market was really a drive to click some wonderful pictures," he said.
Besides visiting the periodical structures in the three cities, The 'Beautiful Destination' team was also treated to different cultural experiences, including 'desi' food and a mock Indian wedding.
"There is so much more to see in the country. We only got a small taste during our Golden Triangle adventure, and every city has its unique story with endless history.
"All of the cultural experiences we participated in were a blast. Traditional dancing, puppetry, music and even a mock Indian wedding," Jauncey said.
