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Travelers Seek 'Instagrammable' Vacation Destinations

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – More and more people are using social media to pick their next vacation destination.

Some call it an "Insta-vacation," when you travel somewhere based on the best photo-ops.

The picture perfect view of the Empire State Building through the base of the Manhattan Bridge is no longer a neighborhood secret. Thanks to Instagram, it's drawing tourists from around the world.

"We know that this street is very famous, because of the view," tourist Gabriela Amarao told CBS2's Andrea Grymes.

Ana Beranger's visitors from Brazil saw a spot on Instagram and headed over to the Dumbo section of Brooklyn.

"It has to be this particular street and this particular spot to get the right angle of the bridge," she explained.

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Mark Ellwood, contributing editor of Conde Nast Traveler, says when it comes to tourism, Instagram is the new navigator.

"New Zealand is one of the hottest destinations in the world, partly because its scenery is so Instagrammable. It looks like the moon," he said.

Photogenic scenery is especially important to millennials. A recent study found 40 percent of them consider 'Instagrammability' a top priority when making travel plans. That's a big number when you consider that an estimated 60 percent of millennial travelers are on Instagram – a 375 percent increase from 2013.

"We're not picking a vacation destination and taking a picture once we get there. We're thinking, 'Can I get a great picture? If I can't, I'm not going to go,'" said Ellwood.

The social media platform has also become a tool for travel agents.

Instagram has more than one billion users. So many, travelers say there are enough images to inspire vacations for a lifetime.

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