TikTok has become a major force in travel planning, with a new study saying 70% of users have booked a trip or experience because of the platform. The research also found that 54% did so in the past 12 months, showing how quickly short videos are shaping holiday decisions.
The findings, from TikTok Marketing Science EU5 Travel on TikTok 2025, suggest the app is now more than an entertainment feed. It is being used as a search tool for destinations, activities, hotels and restaurants, with three in four users turning to TikTok to plan itineraries and holidays.
The study points to a growing appetite for content that feels personal and practical. It says 41% of users now see TikTok as their main source of inspiration when choosing a destination, ahead of friends and family at 29% and traditional search engines at 26%.
The report also highlights the types of travel content that attract the largest audiences. Nature and outdoor activities lead the way at 47%, followed by culture and history at 44%, and family travel at 36%. The figures suggest travellers are increasingly looking for trips that feel more authentic and specific than broad destination marketing.
Engagement with travel content on the platform is also rising sharply. The study says travel-related searches are up 91%, while the hashtag TravelTok has grown 33% year on year. Around 51% of users check travel, hotel and restaurant content at least once a week, and 81% say planning on TikTok feels more engaging and fun than other methods.
Some of the biggest gains in the European Union are being seen in lesser-known locations. Searches for Liechtenstein rose 335%, interest in Mount Olympus in Greece increased 321%, the Costa Brava in Spain grew 246%, and Lake St Andrew in the UK climbed 133%.
The report says this shift reflects a wider move away from famous landmarks towards places that offer unusual scenery and a stronger sense of place. It also points to the rise of destination dupes, where travellers look for cheaper and less crowded alternatives that offer a similar feel to better-known hotspots.
Montenegro has benefited from that trend, with content views rising 164% year on year, while Albania saw a 61% increase. At the same time, slow travel is gaining ground, with views of the SlowTravel hashtag up 293% as users seek calmer trips, closer contact with nature and more time with local communities.
Wellness is another fast-growing area. Views of the WellnessResort hashtag jumped 530%, indicating stronger demand for breaks focused on rest, recovery and wellbeing. The report says this fits a broader trend towards more personalised and restorative travel.
Set-jetting, the practice of visiting places made famous by films and TV series, is also helping shape travel choices. Views of posts tagged FilmingLocation rose 28%, underlining the influence of screen tourism on where people choose to go next.
TikTok’s appeal, the study says, lies in its perceived authenticity. It found that 96% of users trust travel creators and brands on the platform, while 28% said they booked after seeing content that felt real and spontaneous rather than like a standard advertisement.
The findings add to evidence that social media is no longer just inspiring travel, but actively driving bookings. For destinations, hotels and tourism brands, the challenge is increasingly to create content that feels useful, credible and visually compelling enough to turn scrolling into spending.
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