How TikTok impacts tourism

More than 70% of users in Europe said they often plan their vacations based on TikTok recommendations.

With more than a billion monthly users, TikTok has become a key resource for exploring the world. In addition to highlighting lesser-known destinations, the app also shares tips on everything from packing to choosing transportation.

But the platform has also been controversial, with content creators crowding out “secret” destinations and sometimes promoting inappropriate activities. Here’s what travelers need to know about how the platform is affecting travel.

The app, which launched in 2016, has seen a 410% growth in travel content views since 2021, thanks to its short, shareable video format, with 70% of users under the age of 34.

TikTok creator Emma Cooke says if a picture is worth 1,000 words, a video is worth 10,000 words. "It's hard to edit a video the way you can edit a photo," she says.

More than 70% of TikTok users in Europe say they plan their vacations based on recommendations from the platform. Research from Adobe shows that more than 60% of American Gen Zers use the app as a search engine. For example, searching for “top things to do in Paris” will bring up a series of videos sorted by popularity. The algorithm will adjust recommendations as users continue to scroll, and will use geolocation to deliver content relevant to their destination as they travel.

Gen Mohacsy, a 25-year-old medical secretary living in the UK, often uses video apps to plan trips and says it's more effective than Tripadvisor. "Watching videos can give you a detailed look at a place. That's how I found the night markets in Auckland when I was traveling in New Zealand," Gen said.

Several travel trends have emerged on TikTok this year, including the “airport tray aesthetic,” a trend that shows people displaying their travel gear in a well-organized manner. in a clever way in airport security screening trays; "raw-dogging", sit still Do nothing on the plane to free your mind to indulge in thoughts or "travel dupes", replacing popular tourist spots with cheaper and less crowded locations.

TikTok attracts content creators who provide useful information to travelers. But they can also be harmful, sometimes promoting poorly-equipped destinations to thousands of visitors.

Many destinations have fallen victim to their own content creators. When videos of Jianfengling Mountain and the Daguang Dam reservoir in China went viral in 2021, the area became a tourist hotspot overnight. Tourists help boost the economy, but they also cause traffic congestion and strain infrastructure, according to JORT, a travel industry magazine.

Some businesses have responded when they see TikTok negatively impacting their operations. Dae, a cafe in New York, stopped allowing video recordings at its cafe last year because TikTok videos had become too difficult for them to control.

There has also been a surge in unethical tourism. Natara Loose, an American veterinarian who visited Mauritius this year, said she was shocked by the number of dolphin-swim tours being sold. The activity is banned in Mauritius but has gone viral on TikTok. There has also been a surge in interest in sustainable tourism, with posts tagged #SustainableTravel attracting 78.1 million views.

For better or worse, TikTok is having a profound impact on the travel industry, especially with the younger generation, and this is unlikely to change in the near future.

Source