With over 1 billion active users, TikTok has a little something for everyone, and young travelers turn to it for insider vacation advice and recommendations.
advertisementHoliday planning is an art. But reading detailed guidebooks and scouring travel articles can also be a research-intensive activity. So what if you could go to a new city or country, type a few words into your phone and plan his day in minutes?
Well, that's exactly what many young people are doing right now through TikTok.
Why do people use TikTok for travel recommendations?
“I consider TikTok to be my travel best friend,” says Jillisa Guillen, a 24-year-old social media manager. “It's great for finding great places to go for lunch, dinner, brunch, breakfast, drinks, upcoming events, and more. When you search for a place on Google, you might just see sponsored ads.”
She uses it on all her trips and says it has taken her to places she would never have found otherwise.
“I was staying with a friend who lives in Paris and found this hidden bar. tick tock And I took her there. She couldn't believe she had been walking in front of this bar for so long since it looked like a grocery store from the outside. Since then, she has been coming there with her husband and friends. ”
Is TikTok used as a search engine?
Gilisa is not alone. A US survey conducted by Adobe earlier this year found that at least 2 in 5 people said they had a girlfriend. tick tock The user uses the app Search engine. Of those, 20% searched for destinations and experiences, and 19% searched for new restaurants.
This number is even higher when divided into age groups. 64% of Gen Z and 49% of Millennials say they have used an app as a search engine.
Social media giants are hoping to capitalize on the surge in travelers to the platform.
“71 percent of European TikTok users intentionally search for travel content on TikTok, and 77 percent of users visit a destination or purchase travel products after discovering a destination on TikTok. sometimes even,” said Director Stuart Flint. TikTok's Global Business Solutions for Europe told Euronews Travel.
In a speech at ITB tourism fair in Berlin He said this week that people are drawn to TikTok creators' authenticity because they show the good and bad of their travel experiences.
How can I use TikTok to plan my vacation?
It's very easy to find recommendations on TikTok if you've never done it before.
“I combine place names with words like 'travel' or 'itinerary' and things I want to do,” Gillen says. “If you want to know if there's a thrift store or free market, you can type something like 'New York thrift store' and see what comes up.” Or, if you want to discover the Turkish countryside, enter “Turkish Countryside Itinerary”. ”
For travelers on a budget, she also recommends searching for place names that include “free things to do” for inspiration without breaking the bank.
These searches will bring up tons of videos that you can watch to see if you like the look of the place before checking it out for yourself.
If you're overwhelmed by the options on offer, Gillen recommends looking at how many times users have saved videos and double-checking potential activities and restaurants through Google reviews and other research.
