Colombo named the ‘must-photograph’ travel destination of 2019

Colombo in Sri Lanka has been named the ‘must-photograph’ travel destination of 2019, in a study.

Research of more than 1.3 million social media posts found the Asian city is the location travellers most want to take a picture of, followed by Yokohama in Japan and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda.

The Isle of Harris in Scotland also made the list, along with Baden-Baden in Germany’s Black Forest.

Commissioned by Huawei to celebrate the launch of its new P Smart 2019 device, the research also uncovered a new-found appetite among young Brits for lesser-known destinations.

Just under half of 18-25 year olds now look for places their friends haven’t been, with more than a third saying they want to be the first to find new travel hotspots, take the photo and stick it online.

The mantra of ‘if it’s not on social it didn’t happen’ is very much alive, with 16 per cent of Gen-Zs deciding on locations that are most ‘Instagrammable’ when planning their travels.

Mobile phones also make for perfect travel companions, with two thirds (66%) claiming it to be the ultimate travel essential.

Justin Costello, Huawei director of marketing, UK and Ireland, said: “It’s interesting to see that Gen Z are keen to get out and explore the world by treading their own path – enabling them to share with friends their experiences in these new ‘must shoot’ destinations on social media.

“Being able to stay connected no matter where you are in the world, and being able capture to scale, colours and beauty of these amazing locations so you can share your major life experiences through the power of photography will always be important to those who have firmly caught the ‘explorer’ bug.”

Long battery life and a good camera are key features 18 -25 year olds demand from their mobile phone when travelling.

But we’re not all desperate to get away.

Despite more than half of Brits having the travel bug, 40 per cent claim to be proud of their local area with over one third stating they’d recommend their local areas as a good location to visit.

Social media is just as important at home with one in 10 claiming to know the most ‘Instagrammable’ spots, and 38 per cent of Brits stating there are hidden local gems in their area.

In celebration of the launch of the new P Smart 2019, Huawei is giving one lucky social media user the chance to win a round the world trip, visiting each of the top ten ‘must photograph’ destinations for 2019.

To enter, simply upload a picture of a local hidden gem to Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #HuaweiOnTour.

TOP TEN ‘MUST PHOTOGRAPH’ TRAVEL DESTINATIONS FOR 2019