How Travel Brands Are Transforming TikTok Trends Into Real-World Getaways

This sponsored content was created in collaboration with a Skift partner.

The travel industry has finally entered a true growth phase, marking a significant turnaround after years of volatility. A key factor in this resurgence has been the influence of digital platforms that shape how travelers discover and plan their journeys. 

As Skift recently explored in an interview with Stuart Flint, head of global business solutions for TikTok in Europe and Israel, TikTok has become a dynamic platform for travel inspiration and discovery thanks to its combination of visual storytelling, authenticity, and community interaction. 

Popular among Gen Z and Millennial travelers, with the average age of users on the platform now being 30 years old, TikTok is a powerful tool for travel advertisers to find audiences and turn them into customers at every stage of the travel decision journey. The platform’s high user engagement and broad reach make it ideal for inspiring customers to plan and book travel experiences. 

“What I find most fascinating about discovery on TikTok is how it combines immersive storytelling and visual entertainment, similar to traditional media and online videos, with the personalized ‘For You’ feed that brings diverse communities and topics to life,” said Danielle Johnson, group vertical director of travel, tech, and telcom at TikTok. “As users share genuine experiences across the platform, this authenticity fosters a more trusting community.” 

Why TikTok for Travel?

Travel content continues to grow on TikTok, with posts using hashtags containing “travel” up 250 percent, year over year, in 2023.¹ Moreover, 83 percent of TikTok users said that “TikTok sparks my interest in visiting new destinations that I have not considered,” and 60 percent said they “visit new destinations because I discover them through travel content on TikTok.²“

According to Johnson, TikTok’s travel content is popular because the platform’s community acts as a unique advisor and planner, introducing users to new destinations and activities through the perspectives of people who experience them in their own way. The majority of TikTok users (67 percent) have searched the platform for travel experiences or destinations.³ Combined with TikTok’s “For You” feed, the platform’s relevant search capabilities help travelers discover what is unique and personally meaningful to them. 

“The ability to have a two-way conversation — where brands showcase their content and users engage, interact, comment, and share their snapshots — creates a much deeper and richer relationship than what you typically find in travel guides and 30-second commercials,” Johnson said. “TikTok is the discovery engine that sparks interest in new destinations and drives visits.”

Reaching Audiences of All Ages

Though many marketers associate TikTok with having a younger audience, Johnson pointed out that the 45-plus age group watches travel content on TikTok daily more than the platform’s Gen Z and Millennial users.⁴  

“People have diverse passions beyond a single identity, like being a foodie, a parent, or a business traveler, and this applies across generations,” Johnson said. “A fascinating trend among this older group is ‘destination dupes,’ where they explore new, similar experiences to places they’ve already visited, like substituting Italy with Croatia.” 

Ultimately, TikTok is proving itself as a discovery engine for all types of travelers, reaching younger, untapped audiences to build the next generation of loyalty customers while also appealing to older consumers who often have more disposable income and a greater history of travel experiences. 

“Rather than prioritizing one group over the other, it’s essential to recognize that TikTok effectively reaches multiple demographics,” Johnson said. “Travelers of all ages are actively engaging with travel content on the platform, making it a key space for marketers to capture attention and drive engagement.” 

One way for travel brands to capture attention and drive engagement on TikTok is to participate in community-driven storytelling, which involves listening and identifying opportunities to engage. Compared to traditional social media, TikTok users are 1.3 times more likely to feel the platform lets them co-create content and feed off each other’s creativity⁵, giving travel brands an opportunity to engage organically.

“It’s important to recognize moments when you can jump into existing conversations on the platform and create your own standout moments,” Johnson said. “Participating in community-fueled storytelling starts by listening, monitoring conversations over time, commenting on posts, and then showing up in an authentic way to participate in the conversation.”

Fandoms Without Borders

Tapping into timely cultural trends is another way travel brands can attract and engage potential customers — after all, 76 percent of TikTok users say they like it when brands are a part of special interest groups on the platform.⁶  

The simultaneous resurgence of travel and live entertainment has created a new reason for jet-setting: to be in the crowd. Priceline recently tapped into this trend for its “Eras to End Zone” campaign, leveraging TikTok’s full potential by involving two influencers in a timely conversation. 

Before the Big Game this year, there was widespread buzz about whether a certain pop star would be able to make it to her boyfriend’s game. Priceline embraced this moment by partnering with a fan of the pop star who is married to a die-hard football fan. They challenged the couple to use Priceline to attend both the pop star’s concert and the Big Game a continent away, proving that even without a private jet, regular travelers could enjoy both experiences. 

“This campaign showcased multiple aspects of Priceline’s services — flights, hotels, and more — while also capturing the excitement and joy of following one’s passions through travel,” Johnson said. “Travel brands can learn more about creating content that blends seamlessly into our platform by following our Creative Codes, exploring our Creator Marketplace, and scanning for ideas in our What’s Next 2024 Trend Report.” 

Harnessing TikTok’s Full-Funnel Solutions

According to Adolfo Fernández, global director of product strategy and operations at TikTok, users not only come to the platform to be entertained or educated but also to take action. 

“Our vision is to enhance TikTok as a discovery platform where users can immediately act on what they discover,” Fernández said. “A staggering 91 percent of TikTok users who were inspired to do something because of search followed through and took some form of action, both on and off the platform, after engaging with content.⁷” 

Fernández suggested travel brands focus on three key areas to succeed on TikTok:

1. Data Connections: Data connections are essential to delivering high-performing ads. They open up a more holistic view into your customer journey and allow you to optimize your ad campaigns.
2. Creative Content: Creativity is essential on TikTok, as it is primarily an entertainment platform. High-quality and abundant creative content significantly impacts sales performance on the platform.
3. Measurement: Accurate measurement is crucial to fully capture the value TikTok provides. Advertisers need to evaluate their performance holistically to make informed decisions.

Above all, marketers should remember that TikTok thrives on organic engagement. Unlike other platforms that rely on social graphs, TikTok uses an interest graph. 

“This content-driven approach is our unique advantage, as it helps us understand the types of content you enjoy,” Fernández said. “When we combine this interest graph with our monetization solutions, we create powerful connections. For example, if you’re a wine enthusiast planning a trip to Europe, we can match your interests with destinations known for great wine, like Italy, France, or Spain. This powerful pairing of relevant content with personalized advertising is what makes TikTok so effective.” 

The results speak for themselves; Fernández noted that a Paris-based hotel group attained a 17 percent decrease in cost per complete payment using Travel Ads on TikTok, and a top-three airliner saw value for conversion increase by 2.6 times with Travel Ads.

“TikTok is inherently a full-funnel platform,” Fernández said. “Users engage with content, which aligns with what’s traditionally seen as the upper funnel in marketing, but they also take action directly on the platform, covering the lower funnel. No other platform offers this seamless integration.” 

To learn more about TikTok’s travel advertising solutions and contact a representative, click here.

This content was created collaboratively by TikTok for Business and Skift’s branded content studio, SkiftX.