TikTok isn’t just for dances and lip-syncing—it’s a powerful discovery engine for the tourism industry, reshaping how people plan their travels. From hidden gems to bucket-list tours, travelers of all ages (especially younger demographics) are turning to TikTok as their go-to platform for travel and tourism inspiration and trusted recommendations.
For tour and activity operators, this shift presents a massive opportunity: show up where your future guests are already scrolling. Whether you’re new to TikTok or looking to expand your marketing strategy, this guide will help you tap into the platform’s unique potential to drive tour bookings, build brand visibility, and connect you with the next generation of travelers.
The Importance of TikTok for Tour Operators
More than a trendy social media platform, TikTok now operates as a trip planner, advisor, and trend-setter.
With visual storytelling and social proof at its core, TikTok helps tour and activity operators build trust, showcase real experiences, attract new business, expand reach, and tap into changing TikTok trends.
68% of TikTok users say it’s the most helpful source for travel inspiration—whether planning a big trip or a weekend activity in their local area.
TikTok marketing offers a unique advantage given its broad reach to younger audiences—particularly among Gen Z and Millennial users. Authentic, fast-paced video content especially resonates with modern travelers and allows your brand to show up in fun, relatable ways throughout every stage of the tour booking journey.
TikTok Marketing Tips for Tourism and Travel Businesses
Below are six tips for making the most of TikTok marketing for your tourism or travel business. Depending on your digital marketing strategy, you can adopt these pointers to suit your target audience and content needs.
Tip 1: Leverage User Generated Content (UGC)
User generated content is the gift that keeps on giving. Not only does it offer organic content to share with your followers; it builds trust and authenticity, as potential customers see real experiences from fellow travelers.
Start by creating your company’s own unique hashtag. This makes it easy for your guests to tag your tour or activity on TikTok and reshare their content. This will help position your TikTok content in front of your target audience, depending on your tourism marketing goals (i.e. a call to action that links to your website, building community, or showing off scenic locations throughout your tour).
Also, encourage your guests to create their own TikTok videos, highlighting your tour offerings and provide incentives for content that is likely to boost engagement. For example:
- Get 10% off your next tour when you share a TikTok featuring your favorite moment.
- Win exclusive tour merch (like hats, water bottles, or tote bags) for the most creative videos.
- Monthly spotlight: Top video each month wins a free local excursion or add-on experience.
Example: Singapore’s Tourism Board used #MadeInSingapore to invite creators to showcase unexpected elements of the country. From quintessential attractions to less recognizable locations—this approach attracted new audiences and unlocked new narratives for future marketing efforts.
Tip 2: Highlight Unique Selling Points with Short Videos
Your differentiators deserve the spotlight and can be great to showcase via engaging TikTok videos. Highlighting your unique selling points not only piques the interest of new customers; it also helps your service offerings to stand out.
Capture the best moments in 15—30 second video clips. For example:
- Behind-the-scenes tour prep.
- Golden hour views from scenic spots.
- Spontaneous guest interactions.
Tip 3: Use Trending Sounds and Hashtags
TikTok’s algorithm favors content that taps into trends. In fact, the platform has officially stated it determines content to promote based on several factors, including trending sounds and hashtags. A trending sound refers to a popular audio clip—such as a song snippet, movie quote, or original user recording—that is being widely used in videos across the platform. When a sound gains traction, creators often jump on the trend by incorporating it into their own videos, increasing the chances of being discovered by a broader audience.
While there’s no guarantee your video will be positioned on the app’s Discovery page—which features algorithmically-chosen videos for users—using trending audio and hashtags can increase your video’s visibility, engagement, and virality. Since 74% of Gen Z use TikTok as their go-to search engine, applying this approach can also connect you to users searching for your specific type of content.
Pay attention to TikTok’s Discovery page and continually monitor top travel influencers for popular hashtags and sounds relevant to travel, tourism, your destination, or the experiences you offer.
Tip 4: Create Destination-Focused Content
Whether you’re highlighting scenic views, local culture, or seasonal events, your destination’s offerings can serve as focal points for your TikTok content. Tourists are especially drawn to scenery, culture, and atmosphere, so grant your potential travelers a taste of what’s available to experience.
Highlighting destination-specific content also encourages potential customers planning a trip to the region, to book a tour or activity with you, in turn bringing value to your search discoverability.
And remember–even if your location seems mundane to you, it’s a destination for someone. Locals like to get the pulse of their home town, too.
Example: The Turin Tourism Bureau, Turismo Torino e Provincia, teamed up with digital agency BTREES to boost the city’s presence on TikTok using the platform’s ad features. The campaign showcased engaging content highlighting the city’s key cultural attractions through snappy, human-centered videos.
Aimed at a wide-ranging audience, the content struck a balance between entertaining and informative, leveraging catchy hooks, trending topics, quick edits, and emotional storytelling.
Tip 5: Engage with Your Audience
44% of travelers say they trust information from someone who works for a travel provider—be that trusted source.
TikTok Lives are a great way to interact and engage with your followers. This feature allows creators to livestream directly to their audiences, fostering more immediate and personal engagement. You can hold Q&A sessions to address frequently asked questions and connect with users interested in visiting your area or region. By doing so, you build valuable relationships with potential customers and enhance your brand’s presence on TikTok.
Tip 6: Collaborate with Influencers and Micro-Influencers
Influencers not only boost your brand’s credibility and reach, but can also drive stronger engagement with loyal niche audiences, generating interest and trust.
Micro-influencers (10k to 100k followers) are the sweet spot to connect with a smaller audience. Despite their reduced fan base, their audience engages at higher rates than larger influencers at a fraction of the cost.
Identify influencers who align with your brand values and location. In return for promoting your account or business, offer them free tours or experiences, generating even more UGC content to share and promote along the way.
Example: Turin’s Tourism Bureau partnered with local influencers to ensure their campaign’s content not only felt authentic, but also resonated with audiences. Micro-influencers included:
Each creator brought their unique personalities to the campaign, in turn strengthening its local relevance.
Putting TikTok to Work for Your Travel Business
TikTok isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s a growing force that can drive real engagement, brand awareness, and direct bookings. The key is to start small: experiment with different types of content, observe what your audience connects with, and stay consistent.
As you build momentum, make sure there’s a smooth path from discovery to booking—like linking directly to your online booking website. This can significantly increase conversions by making it easy for potential customers to browse and reserve their tours while interest is high.
Whether you’re highlighting destination-specific experiences, showcasing real customer moments, or jumping on a trending sound or hashtag, every TikTok post is a chance to build trust and brand visibility with your travelers.
Written By | Lindsay Stroud
