With the new year comes new travel goals – and it can be hard to know where to start.
In November Business Insider teamed up with The Indie Traveller to create a comprehensive list of the most inspiring, wanderlust-inducing, and influential travel Instagram accounts on the planet – and following them is a great place to start when planning your 2018 trips.
In order to pinpoint the biggest travel personalities on the app, Marek Bron – who is behind the blog – created an algorithm to analyse hundreds of accounts (filtering out any brands or group accounts).
The “Top 100” was formed based on several metrics, such as follower count, follower ratio, account activity, and engagement rate. It includes some of the biggest names in the travel influencer world, but also some exciting rising stars.
Business Insider compiled a list of the top 30 most influential accounts according to the algorithm.
Scroll down to see the 30 most stunning and influential Instagram travel accounts to follow in 2018, ranked in ascending order.
30. @californiathroughmylens — 19.5K followers.
Josh McNair runs the California Through My Lens travel site with his wife, which is used by over six million people. The shot above is taken from the North Dome at dusk in Yosemite National Park.
29. @lebackpacker — 454K followers.
Belgian-born self-taught travel photographer Johan Lolos has just published a book "Peaks of Europe" based on his five-month summer road trip across 17 countries. He is also a Toyota 4×4 ambassador. Check out his blog here.
Above, he's pictured in Elgol, in the Scottish Highlands.
28. @chloe_t — 251K followers.
Aussie-born Chloe Ting says she is a "Gymshark Athlete." In addition to her globetrotting on Instagram, you can follow her fat burning and fitness tips via her YouTube channel.
27. @kyrenian — 1.3 million followers.
Altug Galip "kyrenian" describes himself as a traveller, adventurer, and entrepreneur. He took this photo of Dracula's Castlein Bran-Transylvania while exploring Romania.
26. @funforlouis — 1.5 million followers.
Vlogger Louis Cole is travelling the world on a 90-day adventure. Above he shoots the Sheik Zayed Grand mosque in Abu Dhabi. Check out his vlog here.
25. @mena_shootz — 13.4K followers.
Egyptian-Californian native Mena "mena_shootz" spent three hours capturing this shot - and also admiring the sky - after hitching a ride down a closed stretch of road to this spot on Lake Tahoe.
24. @sayingyesis —18.5K followers.
David Pomfret has been "saying yes to life" travelling the world in a VW Bus. He'll soon be journeying from France to Spain. Check out his blog here.
23. @wanderreds — 69.4K followers.
22. @booyasan — 68.8K followers.
"Booyasan" is travelling and photographing the world. Above, he shot the sunset over Porto in Portugal. You can check out his photo store here.
21. @saltinourhair — 93.4K followers.
Hannah and Nick are a travel blogging couple who also make films. Above they're pictured at a rug market in Göreme, in the Cappadocia region of central Turkey.
You can check out their blog here.
20. @damonandjo — 119K followers.
Damon and Jo are YouTubers who say they grew bored of "cheesy travel shows," and so decided to make their own. You can check it out here.
19. @migrationology — 162K followers.
Mark Wiens is an intrepid foodie traveller currently based in Bangkok. Check out his vlog here.
18. @Jordhammond — 111K followers.
Jordan Hammond is from Switzerland. He's currently travelling the world and taking cool photos in places such as Cappadocia (pictured above), a semi-arid region in central Turkey.
17. @andyto — 132K followers.
Andy To grew up in Oakland, California. He wrote on his blog: "I've dedicated my life to film making and spreading positivity."
16. @lostleblanc — 180K followers.
Christian LeBlanc "lostleblanc" says he escaped the 9-to-5 and now travels vlogging and filmmaking around the world. He's currently in the Vancouver.
15. @celinnedacosta — 24K followers.
Brazilian-Italian Celinne Da Costa says she is "rediscovering humanity by travelling the world." She's currently in South Africa. Above, Da Costa is pictured in front of the iconic Dois Irmãos mountains in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Check out her blog here.
14. @mrbenbrown — 714K followers.
Ben Brown is a photographer travelling the world. You can check his vlog out here.
13. @chelseakauai — 456K followers.
Chelsea Yamase is a Hawaii-based creative travelling the world as an athlete, model, and writer. She says she is a "lover of adventure, words, and water."
"Live simply, explore often, consume mindfully," she writes. You can check out her blog here.
12. @everchanginghorizon — 499K followers.
According to Quin, "It's never too late to feel a little more alive." Above, you can see one of his pictures of the Kootenay National Park.
11. @danielkordan — 820K.
Daniel Kordan is a landscape photographer, and an ambassador to Nikon, Gitzo, and Lucroit. You can check out his photography tutorials here.
10. @vancitywild — 110K followers.
Brie and Reuben are a Vancouver-based travel couple. Above is a shot of Brie at the Golden Ears Provincial Park. Check out their blog here.
9. @mag91105 - 82.4K followers.
Michael Germano "mag91105" said he left the corporate world for academia. "Now I travel for fun and this is the world I see. Shot mostly with Sony mirrorless cameras (a6000 & a7R II)."
8. @swedishnomad — 103K followers.
Alex the "Swedish Nomad" is explores the world with his girlfriend (pictured) and fellow Swede Christine Wedberg. You can check out his tips and travel guides via his blog.
7. @eljackson — 369K followers.
Samuel Taipale "El Jackson" is a Norwegian photographer travelling the world with his wife @hilvees.
6. @sennarelax — 767K followers.
http://instagr.am/p/Bag8oD4AV_r
Senai Senna "Senna Relax" is a Swiss traveller and influencer travelling the world and taking some stunning, colourful photographs. Above, you can see an image he took of the Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria, Germany.
5. @doyoutravel — 2.7 million followers.
Jack Morris behind the blog "Do you Travel" and his girlfriend Lauren Bullen @gypsealust have caused a media frenzy with many of their wanderlust-inducing Instagram shots.
They travel all over being paid by brands to post content. They say they can charge up to £7,000 a post.
4. @chrisburkard — 2.8 million followers.
Chris Burkard is a photographer and director travelling the world. Above is a shot he took in Utah, with the caption: "Temples of dirt & rock so perfectly carved by water. I love appreciating the artist's work." Check out his blog here.
3. @erubes1 — 302K followers.
Eric Rubens is a southern California-based photographer who works with brands taking travel, fashion, and lifestyle photos around the world. You can check out more of his work here.
2. @alexstrohl — 1.9m followers.
Alex Strohl is based in Whitefish, Montana. He says he tells stories with photography and film.
1. @jannikobenhoff — 727K followers.
17-year-old photographer Jannik Obenhoff from Munich, Germany, is officially the most influential travel Instagram account on this list. He says he's "just a boy with a camera."
