Travel marketing has undergone a remarkable transformation over the past decade. Where consumers once relied on brochures and review sites to inform their decisions, many now begin their journey with a scroll through TikTok.
According to recent research, 71% of Gen Z travellers say they’ve booked a holiday because of TikTok. For a generation raised on social media, discovery is no longer confined to search engines or travel websites. Instead, destinations are being introduced through creators and algorithms that place experiences directly into people’s feeds.
And with TikTok launching TikTok Go in May to allow customers to explore and book in just a few taps, social media’s stronghold over the travel customer journey is only set to increase.
For many, social platforms have become the starting point for travel discovery. We’ve all been there – one minute you’re scrolling your social media site of choice when a “come spend 3 days in…” video pops up. You’re instantly transported to a beautiful lake or charming old town you’ve never heard of. Next thing you know you’re checking how many days annual leave you have left and heading straight to Skyscanner.
This reflects a wider shift in how travel decisions are made. Of course, practical considerations like price and accessibility still matter, but inspiration now plays a far greater role than it once did.
The rise of aesthetic destinations and social-first travel trends highlights how powerful this dynamic has become. Whether it’s a hidden beach, boutique hotel or even a neighbourhood restaurant, the appeal often lies in the feeling associated with the experience. People are increasingly choosing places that align with their aspirations and create moments they want to remember and share.
What once required multiple touchpoints can now happen in a matter of seconds. You can discover a destination, imagine yourself there and begin researching after watching a single 30-second video. Imagine telling someone that 25 years ago? They’d think you were mad and point you to the nearest high street travel agent.
As social media has become the primary discovery channel for many travellers, creators have emerged as some of the most influential voices in the sector, with 52% of people making holiday choices directly based on influencer recommendations.
Many now fulfil roles traditionally associated with travel agents. They recommend destinations, share itineraries, provide practical advice and showcase experiences through a lens that feels relatable and far more immersive than a brochure or ad could ever be.
What makes them particularly influential is the relationship they’ve built with their audiences. Consumers trust them because their recommendations seemingly come from genuine experience, which creates a level of credibility that can be difficult for brands to replicate through conventional marketing.
This means travel brands have to rethink their approach to content creation. Audiences are drawn to content that feels native to the platform, rather than traditional advertising. This favours marketing that helps people imagine themselves within an experience, rather than simply presenting a list of attractions.
Few brands illustrate this better than Ryanair. The airline has built a substantial presence on TikTok by embracing the platform’s culture, humour and audience participation, developing content that feels tailored to the way users engage with the platform. Airbnb has begun to adopt a similarly culture-conscious approach, while brands such as Duolingo and Argos have shown how effective creator-style content can be, even outside of the travel sector.
The launch of TikTok Go represents the next stage in the platform’s evolution. The addition of booking functionality creates a direct connection between discovery and purchase, reducing the number of steps required to turn interest into action. If users can discover, research and book experiences all in the same place, the journey becomes considerably more seamless.
That said, travel purchases differ from many of the products currently sold directly through social media. Booking a holiday often involves greater financial commitment and a higher degree of trust. So, while consumers are already comfortable discovering locations through TikTok, some may still prefer to complete transactions through established platforms where they feel more confident about payments and customer support.
Even so, as we’ve seen with global trends like Dubai-style chocolate, social commerce has already transformed the retail sector through the “TikTok made me buy it” phenomenon. Who’s to say the travel sector isn’t next? We may not be far away from a world where “TikTok made me book it” becomes just as common. As platforms continue to reduce friction between inspiration and purchase, the gap between seeing something and booking it will continue to narrow.
That means success will depend on understanding culture and creating content with influencers that people genuinely want to engage with. Of course, the destinations remain important but how those places are brought to life on social media may ultimately determine where gets booked and where gets overlooked.
TikTok may be changing how people discover and book travel, but the opportunity goes far beyond one platform. Discover how Brandwidth helps travel brands build customer journeys that inspire, engage and convert. Find out more.
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