It’s 2020, the year that Covid-19, and dating apps have really taken off. Having spent the most of the year in lockdown, now more than ever people are looking for that special someone to spend their life with. We’re only human and this year has highlighted that having someone around wouldn’t be such a bad thing. But how do you get close to someone at the same time as socially distancing?

Dating apps have seen a surge during lockdown, with Tinder users making 3 billion swipes worldwide on Sunday 29 March, the most the app has ever recorded in a single day. In the UK, daily conversations rose by 12% between mid-February and the end of March.

But what is it that makes people swipe right on your dating profile? What is the best way to attract your perfect match?

We have conducted the ultimate study that has determined which holiday pictures perform the best on dating apps. We created profiles on Tinder, each with different travel photos and analysed which did the best based on 1000 swipes on each profile. So scroll through your camera rolls and listen up as we tell you which holiday snaps you should be using online to get a date.

Skiing, surfing and even skydiving were put to the test

With some of the top ranking ski resorts in the world, we included skiing as one of the travel adventures represented in the study as well as other travel-based activities, such as diving, surfing and hiking. We also made sure to include the adrenaline junkies’ favourite, skydiving, to see if thrill-seekers were the preferred type.

Not forgetting everyone's favourite travelgram, we included sightseeing and beach snaps to see if it was the world’s top landmarks or your swimming attire that makes you more likable. Or maybe it's your love of food? Foodie images were also shown in the study to see if those who travel for exotic cuisines are more likely to get a date.

Yoga was included to see whether you should be finding your zen in order to find your match, and animal lovers, seen posing next to elephants were added to see if people prefer some animal magnetism.

The results: Which holiday pics do daters like the most?

The results have revealed that skiing came out as a firm favourite among daters, along with those seen relaxing by the beach and closely followed by people showing their sensitive side by taking holiday snaps with animals. See the full results below:

Women love an adrenaline junkie

It turns out women LOVE to swipe for an adrenaline junkie, as an impressive 451 out of 1000 women swipe right when they see a guy risking his life for the most breathtaking view. Or maybe it’s the wind swept faces that make the women swoon?

The study revealed that the sporting activities stop there as women seem to like an attentive animal lover. It’s the perfect time to upload a picture with your puppy or a more exotic animal you’ve met on your travels as 443 women found themselves saying yes to pictures that featured animals.

In third place were photos of men relaxing at the beach pulling in an impressive 401 right swipes. The study discovered that women seem to love a man who spends his holidays relaxing on the golden shores of the world’s best beaches.

Men prefer to swipe women who ski

Men too fancy themselves an adventurous adrenaline junkie, as skiing comes out in first place with a grand total of 729 out of 1000 men swiping right on this photo, more than any other image in the study. Not only does the photo hint at the adventurous side to a woman but the long ski slopes and mountainous backdrops provide the perfect scene for a winter snap.

Men continued to dote on women who took part in outdoor sports as the diving travel snap came in second place. Taking a dip into the deep blue and exploring below the surface scored women 642 matches out of 1000. Are men looking for a thrill-seeking, scuba diving lady to whisk him away?

It seems women don’t always need to have their sporting shoes on when attracting a mate as in third place came the classic travel foodie snap. Our study found that 512 out of 1000 men swiped right on a picture of a woman enjoying a bowl of something tasty while travelling the globe. They do say food is the way to a man’s heart!

Lesbians are looking to date an animal lover

Women looking for other women to date preferred a profile showing their sensitive side, with images featuring animals coming out on top with 602 matches out of 1000 people. You may not have a spare elephant in your back garden, but luckily you can plan ahead and book a Thai getaway to get your dating app snap.

The other top photo that lesbians swiped right the most for was the classic ski photo, with 547 people looking for a woman who skis. Food photos in exotic places also ranked highly, with 533 people looking for a woman who loves to tuck into foreign cuisine.

Gay men want to see a man enjoying the beach

When it came to gay dating profiles there was one clear winner. Gay men love to see someone hanging out at the beach, with an impressive 713 matches out of 1000 people swiping for this seafront photo. Get practicing your Instagram pose guys, a tropical beach holiday is calling.

Sightseeing was also a classic travel snap loved by gay men, as 679 people swiped right for a picture of a man enjoying the world’s top landmarks. Whether it's because they want a man who looks cultured or well-travelled, it's a sure fire way to get a right swipe.

Desert exploring and yoga resulted in the least matches

The travel photo which performed the worst in the study was a picture of exploring the world’s vast deserts. Bad news if your Dubai quad bike safari is booked, as across all profiles, hetrosexual and LGBTQ, the desert image had less than 230 matches out of 1000.

Surprisingly, the viral Instagram trend that is yoga turned out to be a turn off with hetrosexual men, women and gay men. They all avoided the yoga picture with less than 200 matches. Maybe people don’t want to be reminded that they should be working on their mind, body and soul whilst swiping for their next lockdown buddy. It did however work wonders on women looking for other women, with 467 matches saying yes to the yoga pants.

What do the experts think?

We asked James Preece, ‘The Dating Guru’ and a Celebrity Dating Coach & Relationship Expert, for his opinion: “Having fun photos that show off your lifestyle and personality are vital if you want to stand out from the competition when using dating apps.“We are visual creatures and want to know what sort of body type the person has. That's why beach photos are always popular.

“Women are usually more open minded and look for personality and shared interests first. Posting photos with animals shows a gentle, caring side and it's also a great icebreaker.
“Many women are looking for an action taker - a real life James Bond. Jumping out of a plane shows bravery and a sense of adventure, which would make a good partner. These people aren't afraid to take risks which means they are more likely to be successful in life. Men also like to see a woman is fit and active, which is why skiing can demonstrate this. Both activities show a high value lifestyle which can increase desirability.”

Book a Club Med holiday to secure yourself a date (and a juicy profile photo)

If you want to help yourself find love while simultaneously getting an incredible experience, you can book one of our winter 2022/23 ski breaks. Take to the slopes and shoot some dynamic photos against the majestic mountains of the Alps, or relax in the spa. You never know, you may just find the one while breathing in the crisp clean air of the slopes!

Methodology

We conducted a study to find out which travel images perform the best on dating apps. To do this we created profiles on Tinder, using our specifically curated travel images as the first photo that people would see, and then paired these with generic group shots. We swiped 1000 people overall on each profile, and then discovered how many people matched with each profile to determine the most popular travel photo.

We did the same experiment for heterosexual men and women, as well as homosexual men and women. Bisexuals were taken into account also by discovering the genders shared preferences over both sexes.

The results are taken as of November 2020.