UGC for Tourism and Hospitality in Spain

1UGC for Tourism and Hospitality in Spain: The Definitive Guide

Spain is the second most visited country in the world, with over 85 million international tourists a year. In such a competitive market, hotels, restaurants, and tourist experience companies need to stand out. And the answer isn't in more stock photos or digital brochures: it's in user-generated content (UGC). The modern traveller trusts a video from a real guest showing their room more than any professional advertising campaign. In fact, 87% of travellers check other users' content before making a booking decision.

2Why UGC is essential in tourism and hospitality

The tourism sector thrives on experiences, and experiences are best conveyed through real people. UGC provides three fundamental advantages that no other type of content can match in this sector:

• Trust and credibility: A video of a real guest enjoying a hotel generates far more trust than a professional ad. Travellers look for social proof before spending their money.
• Organic discovery: The TikTok and Instagram algorithms favour authentic content. A UGC video of a restaurant in Seville can reach millions of people with no advertising spend.
• Reduced acquisition cost: Paid social campaigns with UGC creatives tend to have a significantly lower CPA (cost per acquisition) than traditional creatives.
• Scalable seasonal content: UGC allows for fresh content for every season (summer, Christmas, Easter) without expensive production shoots.

3Types of UGC that work in the tourism sector

""A video of a guest enjoying the pool at sunset generates more bookings than any professional photo shoot.""

4UGC strategy for hotels and accommodations

Hotels have a unique advantage: their customers are already living an experience worth sharing. The key is to facilitate and encourage content creation. An effective UGC strategy for hotels includes three fundamental pillars:

1. Professional UGC creator programme

Collaborate with professional UGC creators who stay at the hotel and produce high-quality, organic-looking content. These videos are used as creatives in TikTok Ads and Instagram Ads campaigns, generating a constant stream of direct bookings. The average cost per video ranges from €200 to €500, but the return on bookings usually multiplies the investment by 5-10 times.

2. Incentives for real guests

Create a programme where guests receive benefits (room upgrade, free breakfast, discount on next stay) in exchange for posting content with a specific hotel hashtag. This organic content complements paid campaigns and generates continuous social proof.

3. Spaces designed for content

The most successful hotels on social media design spaces specifically to be photographed and filmed: terraces with spectacular views, corners with neon signs, Instagrammable decor in the lobby. These 'content spots' multiply the spontaneous generation of UGC by guests.

5UGC for restaurants and gastronomic experiences

Spanish gastronomy is a magnet for visual content. From Valencian paella to Basque pintxos, every dish is a content opportunity. Restaurants that integrate UGC into their marketing strategy see impressive results:

""The 2026 tourist isn't looking for brochures; they're looking for real experiences told by real people.""

The keys to gastronomic UGC are: impeccable visual presentation of the dishes, an ambience that invites recording, and shareable moments like the live preparation of a dish or the experience of a tasting menu. The best-performing formats are 15-30 second videos showing the dish from the moment it leaves the kitchen until the diner tastes it.

6How to integrate UGC into paid social tourism campaigns

Simply generating UGC is not enough; you have to amplify it to reach the right audience. This is where paid social media comes in. The combination of authentic UGC and precise segmentation is the most powerful formula for attracting travellers today. Here’s how to do it:

• TikTok Ads with Spark Ads: Amplify organic videos from creators who have already visited your hotel or restaurant. Spark Ads maintain the native look of the content and usually generate clearly higher CTRs.
• Instagram Reels Ads: Use 30-second UGC videos as ads in the Reels feed. Segment by travel interests and geographic location to reach travellers planning their next destination.
• Meta Advantage+ with UGC: Upload multiple UGC creatives and let Meta's algorithm optimise delivery. This combination usually reduces the average CPA significantly compared to traditional creatives.
• Retargeting with UGC: Show UGC videos to users who have already visited your website but did not complete the booking. Authentic content is especially effective at this stage of the funnel.

7Success stories: UGC in Spanish tourism

The Spanish tourism sector is adopting UGC at an accelerated pace. Hotel chains like Meliá, Barceló, and NH already integrate creator content into their digital campaigns. But it is the independent businesses that benefit the most, as UGC allows them to compete with much smaller budgets. A boutique hotel in Ibiza with only 20 rooms can generate more engagement on TikTok than an international chain, simply because its UGC conveys a unique and authentic experience.

8Conclusion: Spanish tourism needs UGC

In a tourism market as competitive as Spain's, UGC is no longer an option: it is a necessity. The travellers of 2026 make decisions based on real content from real people, not on brochures or stock photos. Whether it's a 5-star hotel in Marbella, a tapas restaurant in Madrid, or a wine tour in La Rioja, user-generated content is the most effective tool to turn curiosity into bookings. If you want to scale your content production, contact PlusROI Media and discover how we can create a personalised UGC strategy for your brand.