VisualGPS Creative Trends Culture Travel Experiences: Oaxacan Traditions

Travelers today are actively looking to have meaningful and transformative experiences, rooted in a sense of place and in social connection, not just photo ops at familiar tourist sites. Getty Images' VisualGPS insights signal the need for us to create more visual narratives authentically reflecting this desire, showing travelers engaging with local people and learning about the history, cultures, landscapes, and traditions of their destinations.

Thomas Barwick's new series beautifully brings this vision to life for a group of real family and friends exploring Oaxaca, Mexico, as they connect to place, to cultural identity, and to each other. Featuring multiple real couples and friends—from local Mexican, from the US, and also neighboring South American home countries—along with serendipitous street casting of local vendors and craftspeople, these shoots reflect a rich and realistic mixture of age groups and intergenerational dynamics that are often missing from travel visuals.

Tom captured the full scope of their journey, weaving different storylines throughout multiple shoots covering highly requested themes of adventure, exploration, cultural enrichment, and sensory‑rich lived experiences. Following months of research and planning, the local production crew spent nearly two weeks on the ground scouting various villages throughout Oaxaca, securing access to each unique location, authentic local industries, small businesses, and traditional makers crafting artisanal products and committed to preserving their cultural legacy.

On one day, the group toured an agave farm, walking the fields to learn about traditional agricultural practices and the secret nuances of mezcal. The next they explored two different villages, each with their own unique natural landmarks and craftmaking traditions. The group engaged in hands on classes about candle making, weaving and cooking, learning about indigenous art practices, textiles, and how to grind cocoa and roast spices in a perfect alchemy. The result is imagery that feels grounded, alive, and deeply human, celebrating not only the beauty of the region but the bonds that grow when people share time and discovery.

For travel‑focused visuals in the marketplace, this concept of the journey itself resonates strongly. When surveyed, respondents in the US unequivocally say it’s important to them that travel companies care about them as humans, and not just as customers, and 76% of viewers prefer visuals of people “like me” enjoying activities they would actually do. In fact, our visual analysis confirms that 56% of popular travel videos feature people, centering on exactly this sense of human connection and lived experience.

With each experience shown through both still images and in motion, the video sequences are highly effective at capturing a sense of intimacy. In subtle real time movements and with immersive POVs, the videos put the viewer right in with the group, evoking all the senses, immediate, fleeting, and real: The sounds, the smells, the feeling of each material, and the tastes of each bite. Careful planning of camera positions and perspectives allow for each scene to unfold naturally, captured in a seamless flow of spontaneous interactions that could never be staged.

Despite its engaging impact and the clear interest from consumers, our VisualGPS research reveals that currently video makes up only 9% of popular visuals used by travel industry customers, indicating a big opportunity for more of it to be used. The scenes from this shoot demonstrate its impact when done well—an evocative choreography that balances the setting, the people, and their experiences with immediacy and emotional resonance.

At its core, this series embodies the textures of life linked through people, place, and culture. In Oaxaca’s lanes, markets, and workshops, the visuals remind us of just how magical the world is, or can be, once you get out and explore!